Missing man found in L.A.
The 86-year-old Sonoma man with Alzheimer’s who walked away from a care facility Thursday afternoon has been found in Los Angeles.
Harrison Whitney rode a bus to L.A., the general area of his previous residence. He was located after calling authorities from a gas station to report that his (non-existent) truck had been stolen, according to the Sonoma Sheriff’s Deputy Dave Thompson.
Whitney’s confused state was obvious to local police, who then identified his status through a national database of missing persons.
“The system works,” Thompson said.
The search for Whitney began Thursday afternoon after he walked away from a residential care home on Vailetti Dr. in Agua Caliente.
He was reportedly seen at about 2 p.m. hitchhiking and trying to flag down passing motorists in the area of W. Agua Caliente Rd. and Arnold Dr. area.
Whitney is new to the Sonoma facility and unfamiliar to the area. He moved to the area two days ago from Los Angeles and has a history of walking away from his residence. He had made a statement that he was going to try to get back to Los Angeles.
Whitney is said to able to make friends easily, is very resourceful and is also fluent in Spanish.
