Fremont Family Asks For Publics Help

FREMONT, Calif. Sep.10 2007 (KGO) (KGO) -- The family of a Fremont man who collapsed from a heart attack and later died is asking for the public's help. They want to solve a mystery that's been baffling them for more than three months.

A grieving widow hopes that search will help bring closure to her husband's life. Vilas Gupte died five days after collapsing on a San Francisco street.

It's what he did in the hours before he died that remains unknown

Samir Gupte is the son of the father who suffered a heart attack on the busy corner of Van Ness and Market streets on June 5th. An ambulance rushed his dad to Saint Francis Hospital where he died five days later

"By the time the ambulance came and they resuscitated him, he hadn't had oxygen to his brain for about four to five minutes. After five days, he never regained consciousness and he passed away on June 10th."

That's what Samir knows. What he doesn't know is where his father parked car. His 1994 light blue Honda Accord has been missing for more than three months.

"Just to have the car back--kind of the one last thing that we know that was familiar to my dad. It would be nice to get back."

They know his father parked his car in a garage that day because they found this parking stub in his back pocket, but the stub doesn't identify the garage so he and his friends have searched dozens of garages and parking lots. They called the city to see if the car had been towed but the city has even checked every city operated garage to locate the car with no luck.

"I'm not really sure what else we can do at this point", says Samir.

That's when 7 on your side got involved. We checked the parking stub for clues. It was printed by digital printing in Southern California. The stub came out of a Secom International Machine from the William White Company in Oakland.

Both companies have agreed to cross check their vendor lists to narrow down the number of possible garages. Maybe you can help.

"I know its a long shot, but by any chance you happen to see you know, you happen to see, if there's a car in a garage in the SF area that's been there for a while, 94 Honda Accord, light blue...and hasn't been moved for a while", asks Samir.

The California license plate is 3HJS876 and it has UC Berkeley Alumni license plate holder.

We've also called the San Francisco Police Department and they are helping the family. If you see the car, contact us here at 7 On Your Side.

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