Missing 21-year-old Orange man with autism found safe

ORANGE, Mass. — A 21-year-old man from Orange who has autism who had been previously missing has been found, police said on Wednesday.

Orange Fire Rescue EMS said the man was last seen leaving his house in the North Main Street area, near Dexter Street, Tuesday morning on foot.

At around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, police said he was found and was with police officers waiting to be picked up by family members.

Officials say his name is Gabe, and he is non-verbal. He is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 200 pounds, and has brown hair. He may be carrying a backpack, pillow and sleeping bag, Orange police said. Residents were asked to check outbuildings for any signs.

Crews had been searching the woods near where he was last seen, with the help of a State Police helicopter and K9s.

On Wednesday afternoon, after hours of searching, officials posted that they no longer believeed he was in the woods. Orange Fire Rescue says someone who knows Gabe saw him in Athol Tuesday afternoon and believe he could be near the Hannaford.

Officials also said Gabe is "much higher functioning than we originally thought and has chosen to be out of touch for awhile."

Cox Media Group