Relatives of a South Los Angeles man who suffers from dementia missing since being dropped off by California Highway Patrol officers at a Torrance gas station asked law enforcement officials Sunday for help in finding him.
According to the family, 62-year-old Douglas James was a passenger in a car being driven by his twin brother, Donald, on Nov. 5, when they were stopped by the CHP and Donald was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk.
The family says the CHP officers dropped Douglas James and his dog, Teddy Bear, at an ARCO gas station in Torrance — 12 miles from their home in South Los Angeles. James hasn’t been seen since, although the dog was found five days later in the Wilmington area, the family says.
Donald James said that after his arrest, officers drove him back to the apartment he shares with his brother, but Douglas wasn’t there.
CHP officials issued a statement saying Douglas James was able to communicate clearly with the officers, who followed policy by dropping him off in a safe, public place. But the CHP said in light of the family’s concerns, the agency is reviewing the officers’ actions.
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