Pasadena Man Who Was Reported Missing After Release From Jail Found Dead In Downtown LA

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — A 71-year-old Pasadena man was found dead Monday in downtown Los Angeles, two days after he was reported missing and three days after he was released from jail following his arrest on suspicion of DUI, authorities said.

Gerald Masao Sakamoto, 71, was reported missing Saturday and the Pasadena Police Department had circulated his photo over the weekend, seeking the public's help to find him.

The previous day, California Highway Patrol officers arrested Sakamoto at about 3 a.m. He was arrested for driving the wrong way on the 134 Freeway, according to authorities.

Sakamoto was booked into jail in downtown Los Angeles at 8:02 a.m. Friday and was released at 7:36 p.m., according to the sheriff's department.

Sakamoto had bipolar disorder and was in need of medication, his family said, but was released without any notification to his family.

Sakamoto's wife of 49 years said she had called the jail and was told to call back between six and eight hours later. By the time she had called again, Sakamoto was released, she said.

"He'd still be alive if they would have taken this seriously, " Jason Sakamoto, Gerald Sakamoto's son, told KCAL9's Randy Paige.

Sakamoto's body was found in a maintenance yard Monday afternoon. An autopsy was pending. Pasadena police said "there does not appear to be any obvious signs of foul play."

The Sheriff's Department said Sakamoto was not identified during his jailing as a person in need of special assistance.

"All persons being released from our custody are offered the opportunity to stay in custody up to 16 hours, or until daylight hours, to arrange transportation or to contact service providers," according to a
sheriff's statement. "Mr. Sakamoto declined the accommodation. In addition, any individual requesting or showing signs of needing special assistance are contacted and addressed by IRC's Special Needs Desk. Our records indicate that Mr. Sakamoto was not identified as requiring special needs or assistance during his time at IRC."

LA County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said Monday afternoon that Sakamoto showed no signs of "distress or disorientation" in security footage reviewed by the department.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Sakamoto's family," McDonnell said. "We've preliminarily looked at videotapes ... There was no indication there was any distress or disorientation ... We will continue to dig down into this, to be able to get some lessons learned and move on in a positive way."

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