Police find missing 19-year-old man, held for assault

Juan Romero III, a missing man with mental disorders, was found at his mother’s home in Chippewa Township Thursday morning.

Following up on a tip, Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said police were able to find Romero just before 6 a.m.

Police said Romero told them he had been at his mother’s home for a couple days, contrary to what she told police Tuesday.

“I don’t think she was honest with us Tuesday morning,” Mioduszewski said. “According to (Romero), he had been there a couple days.”

Romero’s mother told police Tuesday she had not talked to her son and gave them a letter she said Romero wrote to her, dated Feb. 15 at 5:22 p.m., hours before he was reported missing.

Although Mioduszewski said police were skeptical following Tuesday’s interview with Romero’s mother, there was not enough evidence to administer a search warrant at that time.

Romero is currently being held at the Isabella County Jail on an arrest warrant from Shepherd police for the assault that occurred Feb. 15, the day he was reported missing.

As Central Michigan Life previously reported, police said Romero walked away from his group home at 9080 E. Pleasant Valley Road at around 11 p.m. Feb. 15 following an assault at the group home.

The sheriff’s department coordinated searches with the Michigan State Police helicopter, Civil Air Patrol, Isabella County Community Emergency Response Team, Midland Search and Rescue Team and Mid-Michigan Working Dog K-9 Units to find Romero.

Romero is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 280 pounds and has long black hair that is usually worn in a ponytail.

Mioduszewski said Romero has a tattoo of “Big Brother” on the left side of his neck and another tattoo with “Juan” and the number “3″ on his right forearm.

Numerous leads were followed up on for days, but police were unable to locate him until Thursday.