Search Party Being Assembled Missing Rock Island Man with Autism

A search party is being organized for a Rock Island man with autism who's been missing for over three days.

It is believed that 25-year-old Jesse Robert Cardenas left his home in the 300 block of Hammond Lane in Rock Island on Tuesday morning.

He was last seen inside his residence at around 10 p.m. the previous evening but has not been seen or heard from since.

Party organizer Lorre Stimac says the search for Cardenas will focus on several specific areas.

"We will be dispersing people to areas that Jesse was known to frequent and we're working on putting that information together right now. So with the help of his mom we will be mapping out where she thinks the best areas to search are."

Cardenas, who is 5'6" tall and weighs 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, was last seen wearing a tank top and/or a blue plaid shirt and was riding a gray GIANT mountain bicycle. He also reportedly left his wallet and cell phone at home.

Cardenas' family describes him as being verbal but reluctant to engage with strangers.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and local search and rescue volunteers have conducted searches in the city of Rock Island and the surrounding areas for Cardenas since his disappearance, including the use of thermal imaging cameras and drones.

Additional searches have also been conducted along the Apple Capital Recreational Loop Trail and the Columbia River shoreline by the Chelan County Marine Patrol.

The Chelan County Public Utility District has reviewed surveillance footage from the Loop Trail's camera system and businesses and residences in Rock Island have been reviewing footage from their security camera systems for any sign of Cardenas as well.

The search party will assemble at Rock Island Elementary School at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, June 24).

All members of community are welcome to join the effort to locate Cardenas.