The parents of a Georgia man who went missing two months ago called on the public for help to find their son in New York after an unexpected encounter with a relative in Brooklyn.
Jossiah Nghi Nguyen, 25, from Savannah, Georgia, went missing on May 8.
Jossiah’s mother, Bien Nguyen, told PIX11 that her son had reached out to them on May 13 asking for financial assistance after he had lost his cell phone and wallet in New York.
“He was asking for help financially for a bus ticket to get back to Savannah,” Bien reportedly said. “Unfortunately, I missed the [follow-up] call. And we haven’t heard from him since.”
The parents went to New York City on June 25 and spoke to detectives, who said Jossiah received a minor summons in Brooklyn the same day on Nostrand Avenue and St. John’s Place.
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Bien and her husband, Yen Nguyen, also learned that Jossiah’s phone was once traced to Madison Plaza in lower Manhattan.
They had not heard any updates on Jossiah until his father’s cousin, Kim Crown, unexpectedly saw him sitting on a bench at Lorimer Street in Brooklyn on July 5. Jossiah was wearing tattered jeans and was rolling a joint, according to Crown.
“I turned around and walked back to him and said his name. And he responded,” Crown told PIX11. “He looked really skinny, dirty, you could tell he was living on the streets. He just had a winter coat next to him.”
Crown said when she offered to help Jossiah, “He just politely said, ‘I’m fine, I’m good, no thank you.’”
Yen and Bien Nguyen created a Facebook page dedicated to updates on Jossiah’s situation on July 15. While the parents do not understand why he left home, they are continuing their search for their son.
“He was a talented dancer and lyrical genius who loved to rap,” Bien wrote on the Facebook page. “Out of all our sons, Jossiah enjoyed sports the most. Whether it was soccer, basketball, volleyball, KanJam, etc. he was athletic and had a natural ability to play a number of sports. He also enjoyed spending time with his cousins.”
“I try to remember that I’m not in his shoes,” Bien told PIX11. “I haven’t had the same struggle with depression and those other things. We just miss him, we love him, and we want him to be okay.”
Featured Image via JossiahNguyenMissingPerson
