Sheriff/family Jason Jong
Jason Jong hadn’t been seen by his worried family since December 11, 2019. He simply vanished into thin air that day in Crockett, California. For weeks, family members have been searching for him, visiting homeless encampments, talking to strangers who might have seen him, and distributing missing posters throughout town.
Now comes the sad news. According to Carolyn Fong, Jason’s aunt, Jason has been found.
“Larry and Sandra would like to thank everyone for their prayers, thoughts and concerns for Jason. The Contra Costa County Search and Rescue team found Jason on Sunday, 2/23/20, in a secluded area in Crockett, close to his apartment, she wrote Heavy.com.
“He had died from natural causes, a stroke, while probably doing his favorite pastime of walking along the shoreline of the Carquinez Straits. His parents would like to thank the family, friends, law enforcement, and the search and rescue team for their help in the extensive search for Jason.”
He’s the son of a retired postal officer and university administrative secretary, and his family desperately wanted to find the 35-year-old man they describe as sensitive and caring. If anyone has any information about Jason’s disappearance or whereabouts, they are urged to contact detectives at the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division (925) 313-2600.
“He just disappeared,” Fong told Heavy.com in an earlier interview. “It’s odd behavior on his part. This has never happened before. He really cared about his mother. He would not suddenly just stop calling her. They spoke almost daily.” She said that Jong left his wallet, ID, and driver’s license in his apartment. Only his cell phone was missing.
“It’s very stressful,” Fong added. “We go out almost every other day looking for him, putting up posters, going to homeless encampments. We want to bring Jason home, and we want people to know he’s a very caring, sensitive person and to not make contact with his family is heartbreaking. We think something has happened with him…We’re just so worried.”
Jason’s mother, Sandra, said, “It is the not knowing what happened to him that is most worrisome. There are so many unanswered questions, like, What happened? Why? How did he disappear? It is upsetting to me and I keep it inside my heart and soul because I am a quiet person. I am hoping that he is at peace.”
Here’s what you need to know:
The Sheriff’s Department Is Seeking the Public’s Assistance in Finding Jason Jong
Sheriff\’s releaseJason Jong
The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department has reported that Jong is a missing person, writing in a January 21, 2020 statement on Facebook:
“The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff is seeking the public’s assistance in trying to locate a missing person. 35-year-old Jason Lee Jong of Crockett was reported missing to the Sheriff’s Office on December 14, 2019. There were no signs of any foul play. Around the time Jong was reported missing, he was reportedly seen getting into a tan colored Saturn with unknown Oregon license plates. The Sheriff’s Office has not been able to confirm this.”
The Sheriff’s Department described Jong as an “Asian male, 6’, 4”, 190 pounds, black colored hair and brown eyes,” adding, “He is considered at-risk and takes medication.”
Fong said that Jong, who is 35, didn’t currently have a job because of issues with depression. Growing up, he was very athletic and worked as a youth basketball referee and played soccer. As he got older, he struggled with depression and was recently relying on his mother and father.
“He has lived in Contra Costa County all his life,” says Fong. “He doesn’t travel anywhere. He sticks close.” It’s simply not like Jason Jong to disappear without telling his parents something, she said.
“He was always outdoors and very athletic,” Fong said. Jason didn’t drive a car and he’s not married. He lives in Crockett, California, but he went to high school in Concord and then attended community college and university for a time.
Fong described the family’s search. “When he disappeared, we didn’t know where he went. He had never done this before.” In one of the family’s many searches in Crockett, they ran across a stranger who told them he saw Jason get in a car with his cousin. “It took us three weeks to find that person,” said Fong, who added that the family has contacted the coroner and hospitals to no avail.
She said that Jason’s mother had contact with him on December 9. Then, on December 10, he called her three times, but they kept missing each other. On December 11, she “kept calling and calling,” but he didn’t answer. She went to his apartment, but Jason wasn’t there. Around December 15, the family reported him missing.
“We’ve gone through every scenario,” she said. Authorities went inside Jason’s apartment but told the family it didn’t look like foul play had occurred there.
There is a Facebook page for Jong’s missing person case. Crockett, California is located about 30 miles from San Francisco.
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