Police worried about Cahokia man’s well-being, issue warrant to help find him

Police are still searching for a 41-year-old schizophrenic Cahokia man who has been off his medication for almost a month and missing since Sept. 8.

Demarkis D. Hamblin was contacted by police in Poplar Bluff, Missouri for standing in the middle of a road on Sept. 11 — a few days after he was last seen by family, according to Cahokia police.

At the time of this contact, Cahokia Assistant Police Chief Dennis Plew said, Hamblin was not reported missing so police let him go. Shortly after the missing persons report was made by Hamblin’s mother, police issued a warrant for violating federal probation.

“He has a federal probation warrant ... it was put out in hopes it would help find him,” Plew said, adding that going missing is considered a violation of probation.

“I think it’s serious enough they are worried about his well-being, so if there is a police contact he will be held.”

His mother, Roann W. Hamblin-Alexander, reported him missing. She told police they have no friends or family in the Poplar Bluff, Missouri area, so she does not know why he was there.

He had been talking to the sky and hallucinating, Hamblin-Alexander said. The man had also had suicidal thoughts in the weeks leading up to his disappearance.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Cahokia Police Department at 618-337-9505.

This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Police worried about Cahokia man’s well-being, issue warrant to help find him."