Oct. 4, 2018 By Tara Law
A 32-year-old Elmhurst man with autism has gone missing, and his twin brother is leading a desperate search to find him.
Peter Gonzalez, an emotionally disturbed, nonverbal autistic man, has been missing since 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, his brother David Gonzalez said.
Peter was last seen at Veteran’s Grove Park near Ketcham Street and Whitney Avenue, David said. Peter resides at 41-96 Gleane St. and is often seen walking his pet beagle around the neighborhood.
David said that Peter is unable to say his name and often runs away when he is distressed. David encourages anyone who sees Peter to follow but not approach him, and to immediately call the police.
David said that he is worried that Peter will disappear among the homeless and people with mental health issues in the neighborhood.
“My concern is that he’s just going to blend in with the crowd. You see people and you just pass them by,” said David. “He’s not violent but he scares easily.”
David said that he is doing his best to help the community recognize his brother. He hung about 300 fliers around the Roosevelt Avenue area, and has printed out t-shirts with his brother’s image.
Police have canvassed the area and used canine search dogs to look for Peter.
David himself has called all of the hospitals in Queens and put the homeless shelters on notice. He was out searching for his brother from 6 a.m. yesterday to around 4 a.m. today.
David suspects that Peter might go to a Dunkin Donuts or a park because he finds those places to be familiar.
“I’ve looked in every single corner, because in the state he’s in, he hides,” David said.
Peter is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, jeans and grey hightop Jordans sneakers.
Anyone who sees Peter can call 911, or reach out to David at 347-891-7628.
David is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can reunite him with his brother “no questions asked.”
