Where is Jimmy? Williamsburg resident’s car found abandoned in California, but he’s missing
A week ago, an abandoned and slightly damaged maroon Toyota Yaris with a Virginia license plate was found in Desert Hot Springs, California.
When the Desert Hot Springs Police Department checked the car’s registration on Sept. 6, they found it belonged to 61-year-old Williamsburg resident James Robert Cox — prompting a phone call to the Williamsburg Police Department.
Cox, who police said has a mental disability and health issues, still hasn’t been found. The details of how he got to California are still murky.
On Aug. 30 — before Cox’s car was found — deputies in McKinley County, New Mexico, pulled Cox over for a traffic stop. Cox told them he was headed to San Jacinto, California.
Cox reportedly appeared “disoriented and confused” when he encountered the deputies. He was sent to Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital in Gallup, New Mexico, by ambulance, but later that same day, he was released and brought back to his vehicle.
Cox’s sister reported him missing on Sept. 4, according to Williamsburg police, but Cox’s family hasn’t talked to him since July. His Parkway Drive apartment in Williamsburg is abandoned, which has alarmed neighbors.
Cox — who is known as Jimmy — spent his days bagging groceries at Harris Teeter in the Governors Green shopping center, off Route 5 in the Five Forks area. He barely traveled farther than North Carolina by himself, friends said.
“It was just a total surprise, and we hope he’s okay,” said Marv Heileson, Cox’s friend.
Heileson said that he hasn’t spoken to Cox in over a month.
Cox is still missing, and Williamsburg police are working with the Desert Hot Springs police to locate him. Police described Cox as 5′9″ tall and 175 lbs. with has a bald head, sometimes seen wearing glasses.
Any information about the disappearance or location of James Robert Cox should be reported to the Williamsburg Police Criminal Investigations Bureau, 757-220-2331.
Keep following this story for updates.
Abbey Crank, abbey.crank@virginiamedia.com
