JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is searching for 35-year-old Frederick Wiggins, who is diagnosed with autism. He went missing after he was released from the Duval County jail following an altercation with his mom.
Wiggins’ mom, Shantel Stokes, says he requires 24-hour care, and she feels he never should have been in jail to begin with.
“He cannot live on his own,” Stokes said.
She says from the time he gets up in the morning, he is her responsibility.
“I have to give him something to eat because he doesn’t make it. He doesn’t go in there cooking, fix his food and everything. And then now have to get something to put on and all that. Make sure he has his meds and all of that.”
On July 11, she came home and they had an altercation.
“He hit me from behind,” Stokes said. “My daughter was all upset; the youngest way she went and called the police.”
She says they asked the police to get him mental health care, as they’ve done once before in the past.
“My husband kept pleading to him, saying he’s not going to be able to stay in this jailhouse because he doesn’t know what to do, which he don’t,” Stokes said.
JSO told Action News Jax he was arrested July 11 and charged with Aggravated Battery- Offender knew or should have known the victim was pregnant. They say the charges were dropped after the victim did not cooperate with the investigation, and he was released on July 31. Stokes says she wasn’t contacted about the dropped charges or his release.
Stokes says court records initially showed Wiggins would be in court. She’s now worried for his safety because of his needs.
“When you let him out these doors, it’s like you’re leading him out here like a blind person, like what to do. And that’s the scary part. And he been gone. And if I never looked online. I always thought my son was in court today.”
She says he was last seen wearing a light blue shirt, black sweatpants, and black slippers. He’s now listed on the JSO missing person’s page as 180 pounds, 5 feet, 6 inches and his last seen location, at the jail.
“He can’t use a phone. He’s just out there, you know,” Stokes said.
Wiggins has no criminal history. Action News Jax reached out to JSO this afternoon to ask about policies that would allow for someone with special needs to be released from the jail. We were asked to put in a records request for that information. We’re still waiting for that request to be completed.
JSO says if you see him, to call the sheriff’s office at 904-630-0500.
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