Retarded Man Found Safe in Pacoima Wash

A 27-year-old mentally retarded man who had been missing since July 4 was discovered Thursday in the Pacoima Wash riverbed in San Fernando.

David Demers of Arleta was found near Glenoaks Boulevard about 3 p.m. Thursday, San Fernando Police Sgt. Ernie Halcon said. Demers, who has epilepsy, was taken to San Fernando Community Hospital for observation.

“He looked like he was suffering from dehydration,” Halcon said. Demers also suffered some minor injuries to his feet, police said.

Residents called police after they saw Demers in the riverbed, Halcon said. When police arrived, one of the officers recognized him from a description on a missing person report.

“He looked like he’d been staying there . . . or hiding out,” Halcon said. “He seemed very frightened.”

Demers, who lives in a home for the mentally retarded, was visiting a similar home in the 9800 block of Woodale Avenue in Arleta when a worker reported him missing about 5 p.m. Monday.

Demers’ father, Robert, said Thursday: “All I know is he’s alive. I feel a lot better now.”