As of 8/12/18, missing adult Andrew Dart has been located and is in good condition. He is no longer listed as a missing person. Read the full story in the next edition of The Review.
###
As the search for a missing adult son goes into its third week without a trace, the South Pasadena mother’s distress has grown to where she’s now fearful for her son’s life.
“This is extremely serious,” Pamela Dart, the mother of missing son, Andrew Dart, said recently during an exclusive interview in the South Pasadena Review’s office. “He could be hurt. He does not know what’s going on.”
Andrew “Andy” Dart, 45, went missing July 21. Pamela filed a missing person report the following day, July 22. She has been searching ever since. Andy suffers from bipolar disorder along with other mental challenges, she said. Pamela had conservatorship over Andrew up until about a year ago, when that ended. Pamela was unclear why the conservatorship ended, other than to say it created tension in their relationship and she allowed it to lapse without renewal.
“I’m just frantic about this because he needs medication and he does not have any. He’s disoriented, confused and lost.”
Dart said that she’s had “tremendous help” from friends and even her other son who lives in Austin, Tx has been reaching out by phone.
“I have had incredible help,” She said. “Each day that he’s not found, I grow more fearful that something has happened to him. Andy is not a street person, he does not know the streets.”
Having said that, though, Dart did acknowledge that Andy has gone missing before. In fact, Andy has gone missing several times before.
Andrew was reported missing twice in 2011 and 2012 to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He was reported missing in 2012 to the Los Angeles Police Department and back in 2015, he was reported missing to So Pas police as well as July 22, according to data provided by police.
Pamela Dart also criticized So Pas police for not doing enough to find her son.
“They are doing a terrible job,” she said during her interview in The Review offices. “You can tell anybody you want. They are not helping at all and are treating this as nothing. They are pathetic, the very worst.” Dart is planning on taking her complaint to the next City Council meeting scheduled Aug. 15.
“Maybe they can get the police to do something,” Dart said.
Police disagree with Pamela’s assessment of the situation but understand her concern.
“I absolutely do understand what she’s going through and we are doing everything in our power to find Andrew,” said So Pas Police Capt. Mike Neff. “We are checking it every day and follow up all leads. We are in communication with the mother and understand her worry and concern. We will keep on it until we find him.”
There is a catch, though. Neff said Andrew Dart is not considered a “critical missing person,” but is missing voluntarily. The investigation has led police to surmise that Andrew does not want to be found and may, in fact, be concealing his whereabouts.
So Pas police issued a press release this week where they state that “the investigation shows that Andrew is a voluntarily missing adult and that he took steps to conceal his location.” The press release continues: “There is no evidence of foul play associated with his disappearance and none is suspected.”
Neff also said that Andrew smashed his cell phone because he didn’t want to be followed.
As of press time Wednesday evening, Andy was still missing, according to Pamela and police.
Andrew lives with Pamela near Garfield Park. With help from friends, she has been looking at all the places Andrew likes to frequent, she said, including McDonald’s, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and El Pollo Loco, all along Fair Oaks Avenue.
Andrew is 5 feet 10 inches tall, light skinned, balding and possibly wearing glasses, Pamela said. He was last seen wearing sweat pants with the word “California” on the side. He also was wearing a white t-shirt with black sleeves that had “Austin” printed on the front.
Meanwhile, Andrew’s 45th birthday was last Saturday on Aug. 4.
“I went to church and lit a candle for my son,” Pamela said. “Please come home.”
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Andrew “Andy” Dart, contact the South Pasadena Police Department at (626) 403-7270.
