WACO, Texas — The missing veteran with schizophrenia, who came to Waco for mental health assistance, has been found in Waco.
His mother tells 25 News that he’s not in great condition, but at least they know where he is.
25 News spoke with a man who went looking for him after seeing our story.
We told you yesterday that Brandon Braunworth came to Waco to go to the VA hospital, but left on his own accord — his mother was looking for him after not hearing from him in a week.
After seeing our newscast, one viewer named Craig Brinker put on his shoes at midnight on Thursday, and went out to help find him.
“I said, 'I’m going to look for him' — if he left the facility he may be under the bridge. I’m going to see if I can find him," Brinker said.
Brinker found a man experiencing homelessness, who gave him a tip on where Braunworth could be.
“I said, ‘Hey do you know this guy?’, and he said, 'Yeah he just showed up a week ago in this encampment,' and I said, ‘Can you take me to him?'," Brinker said.
And he did — they went to the tent where Braunworth was last seen.
“I was yelling his name, but he wasn’t in there," Brinker said.
"I reached down and unzipped the tent, but nothing in there except a mattress.”
Braunworth wasn’t there, but driving past H-E-B they saw that the Waco Police Department had found him.
Brinker says he’s just glad Braunworth was found mostly for his mother in Nevada who was so worried.
“When I saw her on the news, my heart went out," he said.
"I thought, 'I have to go help this kid'."
25 News reached out to the VA, but they said they can’t comment on a patient’s care.
Now Brandon’s mother is waiting to find out how to get him back home safely.
