Man Left Living on the Streets for 30 Years Until Police Discovered His Real Identity

Having grown up in a difficult environment, Mick Myers spent a significant amount of his adult life sleeping on the streets.

When Mick Myers was two years old, his family in San Leandro, CA adopted him.

Myers was left without a support system after his adoptive parents died. Several family members and friends drifted away from him gradually, rather than all at once.

Although Myers was constantly shifting around, he was able to secure a job that provided him with a sense of stability. It didn’t matter that he moved constantly, he still had a schedule that he adhered to and became close to his coworkers.

During the time he spent driving a truck, Myers loved what he did. However, Myers suffered a severe motor vehicle accident on the way back to his home. A car crash caused Myers to break his back, which left him in the hospital for a few weeks.

California had the highest rate of homelessness in the United States in 2018. Over 554,000 Americans were reported to be without homes in February 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Deputy Sheriff Jacob Swalwell and the homeless man encountered each other in Hayward, California, in November 2017. Their first encounter occurred a year prior in November 2016. At the junction, one of the places where the homeless man panhandled and played the guitar, Swalwell repeatedly asked him not to beg.

Swalwell was planning to issue a citation for continuing to panhandle on the corner despite the warning. The two men began talking when they realized the homeless man had no identification to show.

Even though Myers was injured, he knew he had to keep working to survive. Even so, despite having a good physical condition, he was unable to do many jobs as a result of his back.

As Myers explained, even though he really wanted an ID, he didn’t have the proper documentation to get one. He could not receive any government assistance because of this.

The question is, why did Swalwell personally help Myers rather than anyone else in all of California’s homeless population? Swallow claims that, in the end, Myers was being sincere and honest to him, an experience that many police officers never get to experience on the streets.

Swalwell helped contact the right people and get Myers the right help. First, on his journey, he stopped at the Department of Motor Vehicles to learn about Myers’ records and when they were lost. Even though Myers once worked for the DMV, it seems that his records were deleted even though he had been employed by the DMV.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and the pastor of Swalwell’s church assisted him at his next stop. They were able to provide Myers with proof of residency by signing the necessary documents. During the same period, Swalwell began to examine Myers’ birth certificate, following a trail of paper leading him back to the hospital where he had been born.

Myers’ birth certificate reveals that Mick is not his given name, but rather a shortened version of his middle name. He was unaware that his real name at birth was Gordon Michael Oakley. Having picked up on the story, the local media reached out to Swalwell to get more details about the case.

Mark Askins was immediately captivated by Myers’ story when he heard it. As a private investigator, he is well acquainted with the field. During his time volunteering for Miracle Messages, he helped reunite long-lost relatives and friends with homeless people.

A lot of homeless people do not seem to be able to get in touch with their families or friends. Some people seek help from volunteers like Askins for a variety of reasons, including shame, insufficient education, limited access to technology, and mental disabilities.

Mark Askins had no problem getting to work once Swalwell provided him with the necessary information. He started searching through the records at the Alameda County Courthouse with only his name, date, place of his birth, and the name of his mother.

Due to Askins’ persistence, he eventually succeeded. At the courthouse, he stumbled upon a case file pertaining to a young woman named Marie Pauline Oakley, who had married a man named Wiley Albert Oakley. Mick Myers was the name given to the child the couple had in Alameda after a small wedding in Reno.

After learning the identity of Myers’ biological mother, it was time to find out more about his mother’s story. Based on her age, it is likely that she died. A few weeks of research led Askins to discover that Marie Pauline Oakley lived in Eureka, California.

Askins did not take very long to mention Myers to Pauline. Having wondered for a long time what had happened to him, she was surprised to learn her son was still alive. Pauline explained that Myers, known then as Gordon, was born with a hole in his stomach, a life-threatening condition.

Myers’ adoptive parents actually attended the same church as Pauline. Despite having second thoughts about her decision, Pauline remained firm for the sake of her child.

Several weeks after speaking on the phone with his mother for the first time, Myers, Askins, and Swalwell flew in a small plane to Eureka to meet her. He had no memory of his birth mother as he was adopted at the age of two.

Myers encountered his birth mother for the very first time since he was two years old. The two people embraced each other long and deeply despite not seeing one another in over 60 years.

Their 50 years apart culminated in a seated reunion after their embrace. The sight of Pauline pulling out a couple of old photo albums and showing Myers pictures of him as a baby, as well as pictures of his mother and siblings, was pretty amusing. The realization that his mother had also led a tough life wasn’t hard for him to comprehend.

Over time, Pauline heard about all of the hardships her son had faced during the course of his life, and it was devastating for her. It was very difficult for her to accept that he wasn’t doing well after spending all those years hoping for the best.

As a result of the death of his adoptive parents, Myers finally felt accepted and loved by his new-found birth family. As well as his mother, he also had siblings, nieces, nephews, and many more relatives than he ever imagined he would have, including a sister. They welcomed him with open arms.

Pauline and her son were of great assistance to officers Swalwell and Askins. The first time Swalwell entered the house, Pauline requested that he turn around. Pauline said, “I wanted to see where your wings are because you’ve brought my son home to me, you are an angel.”

Without the assistance of Alameda County Sheriff’s Department officers and Miracle Messages officers, this reunion would not have been possible. We should keep this in mind every time we recount the story of Myers’ reunion with his mother and other members of his biological family.

Having grown up in Palma, Spain, where he was born and raised, Jose Antonia spent most of his adult life living on the streets. While he had been trained in a technical field, his decision to end up on the streets was not the result of a lack of effort.

For almost 25 years, Jose was Palma’s local symbol. Locals familiar with his presence would glance at him every now and then, but usually just went about their daily lives without paying him much attention. Jose was not well liked by the locals, but a group called Juan grew to symbolize the locals’ affection for him.

When Jose was 30 years old, his home was lost to fire, and now he lives on the streets without any shelter. Even so, he continued to make as much money as he could. He did not give up completely. In addition to working menial jobs, he even worked as a parking attendant in Mallorca for a while.

With almost 25 years of being homeless, Jose was used to living on the streets. Due to the conditions he lived in, he sounded much older than his actual age. In addition to the long hair on his head, he had a shaggy beard on his face, which gave him an old-fashioned look.

Salva realized Jose would have to change completely if he were to succeed in his field again, since Jose struggled to fit into a professional career. If he wants to be taken seriously again, he will need more than a haircut and shave.

As soon as Jose entered the salon, he felt extremely uncomfortable. His experience of living on the streets for 25 years prevented him from entering and enjoying such an institution. The fact that he wasn’t paying made him feel out of place in such an upscale hotel.

Prior to starting the transformation, Jose stared at himself in awe, knowing that he would no longer recognize himself. Jose was only able to see the final results of his makeover as all mirrors in the salon were removed for the reveal.

At the time he entered the salon, his hair reached his shoulders. He also had an unkempt beard, which made him appear unprofessional.

As soon as Salva began shaving his hair and beard, Jose began talking about how nervous he was about the process. Despite the fact that he had approved the makeover, he was worried about how it would turn out, and he was also concerned about the unknown.

The first thing Jose changed about his appearance was his beard. Due to living on the streets, his hair was dry and brittle, making him appear especially untidy

The stylist was amazed at how well Jose cleaned up. His total transformation from the man who walked into the salon earlier left everyone speechless.

Following 25 years as a homeless man, Jose realized a makeover granted him a fresh start. Jose might not have been able to achieve his dream without this makeover.

In a bar that he had visited several times, Jose walked around and showed off his good look to his friends. His beer was given without him saying a word since they didn’t know who he was. When Jose asked the waiter why he had not recognized him, the waiter was stunned beyond comprehension.

A businessman happened to be walking by as Jose was helping to park cars at the restaurant. After catching a glimpse of Jose, he recognized him and was shocked. He couldn’t put into words how great Jose looked.

Since Jose’s incredible transformation, his life has changed dramatically in many ways. His situation has greatly improved now that he has a part-time job, looks better than most people, and is receiving financial assistance. The greatest thing that has ever happened to Jose is that he is no longer homeless.