Missing Special Olympics athlete turns up 350 miles away
LOS ANGELES -- An Albanian athlete who disappeared from the Special Olympics in Los Angeles turned up safe Monday, 350 miles away in a San Francisco Bay Area city.
Andi Gusmari, 44, came to the Hayward Police Department on his own early Monday and used a lobby phone to contact a dispatcher, said Acting Lt. Guy Jakub.
According to CBS Los Angeles, Gusmari walked into the precinct station because he was hungry, officials said.
Gusmari, who had his documents with him, was safe and comfortable but police were not able to communicate very well with him because of his speech disability, Jakub said.
Gusmari, a bowling competitor, disappeared from the University of Southern California sometime Saturday night.
How he traveled from Los Angeles to Hayward, east of San Francisco, remained a mystery.
"We all want to know," Jakub said. "We're glad he's safe."
Personnel from the Special Olympics were expected to come to Hayward to pick up Gusmari, Jakub said.
Some 6,500 athletes from around the world took part in the Special Olympics, which used venues around the Los Angeles area. The closing ceremony was Sunday.