It’s tough watching a familiar face fade into a situation nobody wants for them. Fans who grew up on Nickelodeon are heartbroken all over again as former child star Tylor Chase is reportedly back sleeping on the streets of Riverside and according to police, there’s nothing they can legally do to pull him out of it.
Despite waves of concern and people stepping up trying to help, the former ‘Ned’s Declassified’ actor has returned to homelessness in Southern California. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that their options are limited, not by a lack of care, but by California law.
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Riverside Police Department spokesman Ryan Railsback spoke with the outlet and explained that Tylor clearly needs long-term care, but officers can’t force him into a mental health or substance abuse facility. The law only allows so much. That reality hit hard recently when a mental health crisis team placed Tylor on a 72-hour involuntary psychiatric hold, only for him to be released right back onto the streets.
As previously reported, fellow entertainers have tried their best to step in. “Mighty Ducks” star Shaun Weiss, who has been a vocal advocate for Tylor, has been pushing for more support behind the scenes.
Co-star Daniel Curtis Lee also tried his best to visit and seek help for him, but was unsuccessful.
According to Railsback, police can’t step in further because Tylor isn’t legally considered gravely disabled or a danger to himself or others. That’s the line the law draws, and once the 72 hours were up, officers had no grounds to hold him longer. On top of that, Tylor reportedly turns down offers of help, calmly declining efforts to place him in a facility. As authorities point out, homelessness itself is not a crime.
Even if officers arrested him for possession of certain narcotics or drug paraphernalia, Railsback explains the charges would only be misdemeanors, meaning Tylor would be released shortly after with a summons. In other words, the system doesn’t have the leverage people assume it does.
As previously reported, Tylor has been transient for quite some time while allegedly struggling with meth addiction. Railsback insists police are doing everything they can within the limits of the law, but made it clear where that line is drawn, saying, “We can’t kidnap him.”
For fans watching from the outside, it’s a painful reminder that fame doesn’t protect you forever — and sometimes, even when people care, the system just shrugs back.