Deaf Boy, 15, Wanders Off From County Home

In a case that has baffled police and county social workers, a 15-year-old deaf-mute boy found sleeping in the street near the Mexican border two weeks ago has fled a county receiving home, apparently because he became nervous about a press conference scheduled for Monday.

The auburn-haired teen-ager, dubbed “Joey Doe” by officials with the county Department of Social Services, slipped away from the county’s New Alternatives emergency shelter in Hillcrest Saturday night and has not been seen since.

The boy’s disappearance was announced Monday morning at a news conference originally intended to spread the word about his whereabouts in the hope that relatives or friends would come forward.

Social workers who cared for the boy said he had appeared happy and was adjusting well to life in the home but had become increasingly anxious as the press conference drew nearer.

“We really don’t know why he would leave, and we’re very, very concerned about his safety,” said Yolanda Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services. “He has no money and no jacket or sweater. With his limited communication skills, we’re very worried that he may be in danger.”

Joey was described as being 5-foot-2 and weighing 123 pounds. He has brown eyes and was last seen wearing gray corduroy pants; a green, striped polo shirt, and sneakers.

The youth was picked up at 6 a.m. March 24 by U.S. Border Patrol agents making a routine sweep of San Ysidro. He had both pesos and American coins in his pocket but no other possessions. Authorities said he appeared to be in good health and had strong hands, as if he had been doing manual labor.

Unable to communicate with the boy, the federal agents turned him over to San Diego police, who in turn took him to the county receiving home, a facility for victims of child abuse and neglect. In the past two weeks, social workers had been attempting to locate a foster home for the youth.

Though the boy is not trained in sign language, he was able to make gestures to communicate with a volunteer from Deaf Community Services, Thomas said. He also wrote his first name--two ways, “Joey” and “Joies”--and wrote the name “Karla,” who he indicated was his 5-year-old sister.

Other information gleaned from the boy indicated that he woke up one morning two years ago and discovered that his parents were gone. No further explanation was made, and when asked his last name or the whereabouts of his family, Joey either shrugged his shoulders or placed his hands over his ears and shook his head, Thomas said.

Finally, social workers said the youth indicated he had lived for a time in a pickup truck with a Latino man in his 30s before being picked up by Border Patrol agents last month.

Anyone with information about Joey’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Department of Social Services’ 24-hour hot line at 560-2191.