Family: Mentally Ill Man Missing After Jail Release

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- A family says authorities released a mentally ill man from jail without contacting family members, who haven't heard from the subject since then.

Aleksandr Smotrov, 50, was released from the Sacramento County Main Jail around 3:30 a.m. Friday. Sister-in-law Natasha Lakhno said family members were not notified about his release and didn't know he was free until much later in the morning.

Smotrov suffers from schizophrenia and has the mind of a child, Lakhno said.

"He can't reason like an adult, so he doesn't know his phone number, his address," she said. "He can't make decisions on his own.

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies arrested Smotrov Thursday evening after Costco customers complained he was rubbing his chest against them. Lakhno said family members told authorities he was mentally ill and can't understand why he was released by himself in the middle of the night.

Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos said deputies were told about the mental illness, but a jail evaluation did not show that Aleksandr would be a danger to himself upon release.

"Unless they're unable to exercise due car for themselves or are greatly disabled at the time, they're sent out, processed out just like everybody else," Ramos said.

Family members said they have searched downtown Sacramento since Smotrov's release but have not been able to locate him. He is described as 5'1", about 250 pounds, with a beard and shaggy hair, and was last seen wearing white shorts, a black shirt with white stripes and flip flops.