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Flatbush family searching for missing 23-year-old with autism

Rashaud Wheeler's family says he stood outside the building for a few minutes before walking away — and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

Shakti Denis

Jun 20, 2025, 2:52 AM

Updated 6 hr ago

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A Flatbush family is pleading for help to find 23-year-old Rashaud Wheeler.
Wheeler, who is on the autism spectrum, was last seen leaving his East 19th Street apartment wearing a black hoodie and gray backpack on Saturday June 14.
His family says he stood outside the building for a few minutes before walking away — and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Family members say Wheeler is high-functioning and typically sticks to a familiar routine, rarely venturing beyond the neighborhood.
He lives with his grandmother and one of his brothers, and works at a nearby Popeyes restaurant.
“One thing I can say about Rashaud, he goes to work, and he comes straight home,” said his brother Sincere.
But when Wheeler failed to show up for his shift last weekend, the family knew something was wrong.
“They said, ‘No papa, he didn’t come in today.’ I was just lost and confused,” his brother Micheal said.
Loved ones have posted flyers across the neighborhood and filed a missing person report with police. But as days pass, the family is getting increasingly concerned.
“I was just crying the other day,” said his oldest brother, Jeremiah. “It’s hard to think about... it’s not something I want to think about.”
Wheeler’s grandmother says her thoughts have been consumed by worry.
“My mind is just on him... wondering if he’s OK, where is he, why isn’t he coming home,” she said.
The NYPD is urging anyone with information about Wheeler to contact police.