A mentally ill, Nashville man disappeared from his group home only to be found in Mexico, forcing his mother to find a way to get him back to Music City.
Everett Washington is 23 years old. According to his mom, Jackie Washington, he suffers from Schizophrenia and could be a danger to himself or others.
That's why she has desperately been working to bring him home. He turned up in Mexico penniless and shoeless.
"This is a photo of him taken just yesterday," said Jackie Washington. "You can see that he has issues. He's not in his right mind. Where did he spend last night? Probably on the street."
Several photos were taken by a Mexican news reporter after encountering Everett Washington -- an American seemingly wandering without purpose around a small village just outside Guadalajara.
The photos shows the 23-year-old alone, confused and suffering. Jackie said her son is paranoid schizophrenic and bi-polar.
He walked away from the Nashville group home on Thanksgiving. She reported it to police, but her son had simply vanished. Then this past week a call from the reporter out of the blue from Tepic, Mexico. Somehow, with no money, Everett made it nearly two-thousand miles from home.
"He probably hitchhiked. He crossed over the border," said Washington. "The voices in his head telling him to go."
So far, the U.S. Consulate and Mexican police have been of little help because Everett is an adult and has committed no crime.
Jackie was worried because her son can be violent.
"It's always been scary. Scary for me if he is going to harm himself or others," said Jackie Washington.
Even if she had the means to go get him. Jackie doubts he would come. She's worried her son could die in Mexico.
And her greatest frustration is Everett couldn't get the help he needed here in the states for his mental illness.
"Just anybody that won't listen when we say that our loved ones need help and we see them deteriorating," said Washington.
She said her son could never get a stay of longer than a couple days in mental health treatment here in Nashville.
She has planned to reach out to Congressman Jim Cooper's office to see if they can help.
