UPDATE (Mon., Sept. 18, 4 p.m.): David was located Monday at a Denver hospital, according to Thornton police. The department did not disclose which apartment he was found at or his condition.
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DENVER -- It's been nearly two days since Maria Burque has seen her 39-year-old son, David.
“I have been in the street passing 200 flyers today,” Burque said.
Burque says her son, who lives in Florida, was visiting a friend in Colorado. She says his state of mind hasn't been the same since after he stopped taking his medicine and began drinking. David is diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Burque took her son to the Community Reach Center to detox. She was set to pick him up the next day when he vanished.
“I was there early in the morning and he was already gone, " Burque said.
Due to his condition, Burque fears for her son’s safety.
“I have his phone, I have his clothing, his wallet. He has nothing on him. My concern is that he has nothing to help himself with,” Burque said.
Rachelle Burque is David’s sister and a mental health counselor. Her brother's struggles inspired her profession. A tough internal battle...he's now fighting alone on the streets.
“Approximately 43 million Americans are suffering from a mental illness each year,” Maria Burque said. She says her brother's disappearance sheds light on a growing issue that’s often misunderstood.
“There is the stigma that they are crazy and it's not just a medical issue and it is,” Maria Burque said.
Anyone with information on David Burque’s whereabouts should call Thornton Police.
