CHICAGO (WLS) — A man who went missing after being dropped off at O’Hare airport has been found safe and is back with his family, Chicago police said Tuesday night.
CPD did not immediately provide any additional details on how Elijah Hoard was found.
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NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama posted a call for help to find Hoard, who was dropped off by his father at O’Hare on Friday as he was set to return home to France. Family said Hoard never got on the flight.
The 23-year-old Hoard spent 10 days in the city to visit his father. A photo with his father showed the last time he was seen on Friday as he was set to take off for France from O’Hare.
On Monday, Wembanyama posted an Instagram story saying, “Our friend Elihah has been missing from Chicago O’Hare since February 27th. If you have any information, please reach out to local authorities.”
Antwon Hoard said Elijah never checked in for his flight.
“To my knowledge he was going to just register his ticket and get on the flight. But for whatever reason he never took the flight; his bags weren’t registered, and he never checked in. So what we’re thinking is he could possibly be floating around the airport or something. But again, that’s the last we’ve seen of him,” Antwon Hoard said.
Antwon Hoard said his son suffers from mental illness and was reluctant to return home to France after spending time in Chicago.
“Everything seemed pretty normal the first eight days, but the last two days his whole mood had swung. And he was really adamant about not going back home, and he didn’t want to go home,” Antwon Hoard said.
The father said Elijah’s phone had been off since Friday evening, and he didn’t have much money to be on his own for more than a few days.
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