A 71-year-old Pasadena man with Alzheimer's disease was found dead Monday in Los Angeles, two days after he was reported missing and three days after being arrested on suspicion of DUI following a crash, authorities said.
According to Pasadena police, there "does not appear to be any obvious signs of foul play" in the death of Gerald Masao Sakamoto, who was last seen alive near downtown Los Angeles.
The Pasadena Police Department had circulated his photo over the weekend, and sought public help to find him. Early Monday afternoon, police reported that he had been found dead, and his family had been notified. An autopsy was pending.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported that Sakamoto had been arrested by California Highway Patrol officers about 3 a.m. Friday following a crash in the San Gabriel Valley -- exactly where was not immediately known.
Sakamoto was booked into the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles at 8:02 a.m. Friday and was released at 7:36 p.m., according to the sheriff's department.
"All persons being released from our custody are offered the opportunity to stay in custody up to 16 hours, or until daylight hours, to arrange transportation or to contact service providers,'' according to a sheriff's statement.
"Mr. Sakamoto declined the accommodation. In addition, any individual requesting or showing signs of needing special assistance are contacted and addressed by IRC's Special Needs Desk. Our records indicate that Mr. Sakamoto was not identified as requiring special needs or assistance during his time at IRC."
