Dean Toshio Tanaka, 35 when he vanished, was last seen the afternoon of September 13, 1996, walking away from his home in Woodland Hills, California. He is Asian, born January 30, 1961, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 190 pounds, and was wearing a denim shirt and blue jeans. Tanaka worked as a motorcycle mechanic and may have continued in that line of work after he disappeared.

He had a history of schizophrenia and needed medication. Investigators have considered that he might have become an unidentified John Doe patient in a hospital or nursing home. A tattoo is listed as a distinguishing feature. The Los Angeles Police Department is the investigating agency and seeks any information.

Does anyone remember Dean, his workplace, or seeing someone matching his description in the Woodland Hills area around mid-September 1996?