Overview
- Rice University reported that 24-year-old Rabe’e Ata Juma’a Alqaq was found safe in Bridgeview, Illinois after contacting campus police on Tuesday.
- Alqaq had been reported missing after he left his Martel College dorm for a walk and did not return, a disappearance first noted by teammates and reported to police on Sunday.
- Investigators say Alqaq, who has cerebral palsy and does not speak English, traveled to the Chicago area by bus of his own accord and no foul play is suspected.
- Rice University Police Department is working with local Illinois authorities, the Jordan Consulate in Texas and the athlete’s team to confirm his condition and arrange his return to Houston.
- Police are reviewing surveillance footage and attempting to access his communications to learn why he left and plan further investigation when he returns to campus.