LOS ANGELES >> A 29-year-old rideshare driver missing more than a week was found Monday in a Los Angeles hospital, according to media reports.
Joshua Thiede was found at Good Samaritan Hospital, according to broadcast reporters contacted by Thiede’s friends.
The black 2014 Nissan Altima driven by Thiede was found in 100 block of South Kingsley Drive in the Wilshire District about 12:25 p.m. Monday by officers from Olympic Division, Los Angeles Police Officer Tony Im said.
Thiede was last seen driving at 11 a.m. on Feb. 11 in the 1000 block of Wilshire Boulevard, near the 110 Freeway, according to the LAPD.
He worked as a driver for both Uber and Lyft to earn extra money while planning a line of organic shoes, relatives said on Facebook. They said his last fare was a 15-minute trip for Lyft.
His mother, Janet Thiede, said her son or someone using his phone made a 911 call at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 12, but hung up without saying anything.
The phone was later traced to Venice Boulevard and Burlington Avenue, but was no longer active.
Janet Thiede announced that her son had been found in a Facebook message:
We are extremely pleased to announce that Joshua Thiede has been found. He is at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. I will be getting on a plane as soon as possible to take care of him.
At this time, we do not have all the details. We are just extremely happy that he is alive. We are continuing to ask the LAPD to investigate the circumstances that landed him in the hospital.
Josh is a health-conscious vegan who works out regularly and eats organic food. He was driving Uber and Lyft to support himself while he worked on developing an organic shoe line.
A special thank you to the tireless, incredible efforts of Yokeena Jamar and Kevin Young for being our feet on the ground in Los Angeles. Thank you to the wonderful men and women of the LAPD for all their hard work and kindness. Thank you to all our fantastic family members and friends who worked with me behind the scenes to check leads and verify information. Thank you to the media for calling to check facts and their kindness to Joshua’s family and friends. And, thank you to ALL the amazing social media volunteers who took the time to post, tweet, and share information that helped find someone they did not know. It is because of all your efforts that Joshua was found.
Thanks again for all your kindness and support! It is deeply appreciated! #JoshThiedeHasBeenFound!
