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‘He is not looking for trouble, he's maybe just trying to survive,’ says mom after disabled son goes missing

Gabriel Garcia’s mother says he has autism and doesn't have a phone or money, leaving him in danger.

Isabella Giardina

Apr 15, 2026, 5:22 PM

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A 26-year-old man went missing on April 9 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Gabriel Garcia’s mother says he has autism and doesn't have a phone or money, leaving him in danger.

"He is autistic, he has mental disabilities. He is not looking for trouble, he's maybe just trying to survive," says Garcia’s mother, Deborah.

Deborah and Gabriel were planning to go to the Dominican Republic for a month.

They were waiting to board the plane when Gabriel walked off and hasn't been seen since.

Deborah cancelled her trip and has been walking the streets of the Bronx and Queens with a broken foot to look for her son.

"I try to sleep so I have the strength to go back on the streets because I am just starting to look for him. I'm not planning to stop,” she says.

She is now hoping her message gets to her son and prompts his safe return.

"You may think you are safe, but it is good for us to have the peace of knowing where you are," says Deborah.

Anyone who has seen Gabriel or knows where he may be, is urged to call police.

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