By Sarina Trangle
A Ridgewood family said they were relieved to find a cousin with a mental disability Monday after he disappeared this weekend, walked to Corona and suffered an epileptic seizure on the street.
Stephanie Almache said her 26-year-old cousin, Geovanny Gonzalez from Ecuador, was visiting relatives in Queens when he went missing around 6 p.m. Friday from Grove Street and Wyckoff Avenue on the border of Ridgewood and Bushwick.
The Police Department and family mobilized and sought help finding a man described as having the mental capacity of a 10-year-old. His epilepsy required that he take three doses of medication daily, according to Almache.
She said her cousin walked to Corona, but grew hungry and had asked someone for food. He was waiting for this individual to return with food when he fell on the street and had a seizure, Almache said.
A passerby called 911 and Gonzalez was rushed to New York Hospital of Queens, where his family said he was recovering.
“He’s okay. He’ll be there for another night or two,” Almache said. “It was a terrible weekend. We were just nervous and scared, so it’s definitely very happy that he is back.”
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
