Quadriplegic, Non-Verbal Man With Cerebral Palsy Found Abandoned In Park, Had Been There For At Least Five Days
A quadriplegic man was found abandoned in a Philadelphia park on Saturday with nothing but a blanket and a Bible, NBC Philadelphia is reporting. He had likely been there for several days.
#BREAKING: Quadriplegic man abandoned in Cobbs Creek Park. He was there as many as 5 days: PD: http://t.co/irtu86xzTv pic.twitter.com/uPsxjHdDZc
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) April 11, 2015
The unidentified 21-year-old man was found around 9:00 p.m. Friday night in a wooded area near Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek Park. He was about ten feet away from a wheelchair, possibly indicating that he had tried to get help, according to Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker.
“They found [him] about 100 yards off the roadway here, laying in leaves. He’s got a blanket over him and a Bible on his chest. He has a wheelchair about 10 feet from his body.”
Police speculate that the man, who is non-verbal and completely dependent on others for his well-being, may have been abandoned in the park for as many as five days. In that time period, severe thunderstorms have blown through Philadelphia and overnight low temperatures have reached as low as 39 degrees, according to The Drudge Report.
The man was taken to a hospital where he is listed in stable condition. The quadriplegic man attended a school for people with special needs in Philadelphia. When he didn’t show up for classes for several days, school officials called his primary caregiver – his mother. When she didn’t answer, police called the man’s aunt. As it turns out, the man’s mother had skipped town.
“What we’ve learned so far is that the 21-year-old child lives with his mother, completely dependent on mom as a result of his condition. She also has a 16-year-old son who is staying with other family members. We know she left for Maryland on Monday to go see her boyfriend on a bus.”
The mother has still not returned from Maryland, despite her son being found abandoned in the woods.
@NBCPhiladelphia #exclusive @PhillyPolice recover wheel chair of handicapped man abandon in Cobbs Creek Pk Deets530a pic.twitter.com/H1HRgW1dHo
— Jesse Gary (@JesseKTVU) April 11, 2015
As of this post, police have not officially connected the mother’s leaving town with the young man’s abandonment, and no charges have been filed.
“We still have a long way to go in this investigation.”
This is a breaking news story. More information about the quadriplegic man found abandoned in a Philadelphia park will be provided as it becomes available.
