Missing Man In Des Plaines River? Mother Pleads For Joliet's Help

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet City Council heard from a worried mother, Jewell Robinson, during Tuesday night's meeting. She told her elected officials that her 37-year-old son has not been seen by anyone since last week. She lives at the Riverwalk Homes apartment units, formerly known as Evergreen Terrace.

"I'm the mother of the young man, Robert Long, that's missing. My heart is heavy right now," she told her City Council. "What I am asking for is community help. Neighborhood help. I'm doing a search party Friday morning at 10 o'clock, and asking people to come out and support me and my family and try and find my son. I live over at Riverwalk Homes. My son was last seen in that area. I have been there almost nine years and, um, it's not a good place right now.

"I really don't know. I just want the city, whoever can, to help me. I've been on the phone all day, trying to get them in the water, trying to get them to send some divers and see if his body is in that water. I haven't had any success, yet, but I pray that I do.

"I've been in Joliet for 23 years. I've never been in trouble. My son has never been in trouble. And all I'm asking for is some help and finding my son. And that's all I have. Thank you for listening."

Joliet Fire Chief Jeff Carey responded during the meeting, informing Long's mother that Joliet Fire Department sent a rescue boat to search the Des Plaines River canal on Tuesday afternoon, utilizing sonar technology, but the river search was interrupted because the Joliet Fire Department had to respond to a house fire on Liberty Street near Collins Street.

"They ended it short because a fire came in so they were only out there about 45 minutes, but they have plans to go back out, and they can scan the whole river," Carey announced. "It's a side sonar, it's hard to see in that river because there's so many jagged edges along the sides, but they're hoping if they're able to see something, they can try to dive.

"We can't really dive without knowing a point because it's so wide. But with the side sonar, they can pick up anything that looks like a body, then they'll dive and try to find it that way."

Carey told Joliet Patch after the meeting that the Joliet Fire Department planned to resume its search efforts of the Des Plaines River on Wednesday morning.

The Joliet Police Department announced on Monday morning that it was seeking the community's help finding Robert Long, who was last seen on April 11 at 316 North Bluff Street.

Long is 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8, and weighs 150 lbs., with short black hair and brown eyes. "It is believed that Long has a mustache and goatee. He was last seen wearing a red jacket, blue jeans, and sunglasses," Joliet police pointed out. "Mr. Long has a tattoo on his forearm (unknown arm) that reads "CPT."

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Robert Long is encouraged to contact 911 or the Joliet Police Department non-emergency line at (815)726-2491.