A missing person suffering from Alzheimer's has been found. 71-year-old Fernando Pacheco is okay and is back with his family. He was reported missing from his Poway home May 5th.
A woman who recognized Pacheco's photo in the news saw him along Old Guejito Grade and Guejito Road in Valley Center around 7:30 a.m. on May 6th and called the Sheriff's Department. Deputies responded and reunited Pacheco with his family.
Thank you to the media for showing Pacheco's photo in the news and to the public for looking out for him.
We also want to thank our volunteers with Sheriff's Search and Rescue. The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer unit. Together, they perform wilderness and urban rescues and search for missing and at risk persons. Teams are available 24 hours a day to respond to local, state and federal agency requests. To learn more about SAR, visit http://bit.ly/leuaZr.
We want to remind the public about the Take Me Home program. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department maintains a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL database of people who may not be able to speak to first responders if they get lost or wander away. The registry is for people with physical or mental challenges, disabilities or medical conditions (i.e. autism, Alzheimer's, Down Syndrome, etc.). This regional database is accessible only to law enforcement agencies.
The Take Me Home registry stores photos and emergency contact information of people who are at risk. It also lists whether they are verbal or non-verbal, if they have serious health concerns such as seizures or take medications, how they react under stress, how to approach them, as well as special care instructions.
If a person at risk goes missing or wanders away, their photo and special care instruction are immediately available to first responders to help with the search. For more information, visit http://goo.gl/CIIMA3.
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ORIGINAL MESSAGE FROM MAY 5TH
If you live in Poway, be aware of increased law enforcement activity in your area. A search and rescue operation is underway for a missing person at risk. There is a command post set up on the north side of Midland Elementary School.
Be on the lookout for Fernando Pacheco. He lives in the 13600 block of Somerset Road and was last seen walking southbound on Midland road around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 5th. He was last seen wearing black pants, a black jacket, black shoes and a white cowboy hat.
Pacheco's family says the 71-year-old suffers from the early stages of Alzheimer's. He has no credit cards, money or cell phone with him when he lef the house. Pacheco is a Spanish speaker and understands very little English.
If you see Pacheco, call the Sheriff's Department at (858) 565-5200.
