Police locate student after friends express concern

Police said they found a Northwestern student Tuesday afternoon after his friends became concerned that they had not seen him for several days.

The student had been sick and confined to his bed, and his cell phone was broken, said Daniel McAleer, University Police deputy chief.

One of the student’s friends called police shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, telling them he had not heard from the student since Saturday evening, McAleer said. At that time, the friend invited the student over for dinner, but the student never came.

Over the next few days, the friend became more alarmed because he did not see the student in class, McAleer said. The friend repeatedly called the student, but the student did not pick up.

Throughout Tuesday afternoon, police checked Evanston and St. Francis hospitals, began tracking the student’s cell phone, emailed him, waited at Technological Institute to see if he would show up for class and talked to his professor, McAleer said. When officers checked the student’s residence for a second time, they found him and learned of his illness and cell phone issue.

The student was feeling better and planned to fix his cell phone and start going to class again, McAleer said.

— Patrick Svitek