DATE/TIME: September 16, 2026 / 5:00 p.m.
INCIDENT: Critical Missing Person
LOCATION: 57000 Block of Yucca Trail, Yucca Valley, CA.
MISSING PERSON: 81-year-old Male Resident of Yucca Valley
SUMMARY: Automated License Plate Readers Assist in Locating Cognitively and Medically Vulnerable Elder
Yucca Valley, CA – On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at about 5:00 p.m., deputies from the Morongo Basin Station were dispatched to a Yucca Valley residence regarding a critically missing person who left in a vehicle. The 81-year-old was experiencing hyperglycemia and dementia, creating significant medical and other risk concerns.
Due to his medical condition and cognitive impairment, deputies recognized the potential for disorientation, impaired judgment, and an inability to recognize or respond appropriately to medical or environmental dangers. Cases involving cognitively impaired individuals with significant medical conditions can quickly become life-threatening. This incident made an expedient response, location, and intervention critical to his health and well-being.
Deputies used Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to confirm the vehicle description and license plate and entered a vehicle alert into the system. Deputies also accessed law enforcement databases, issued a statewide Silver Alert, and notified surrounding agencies.
At about 11:00 p.m., nearly 70 miles from the elderly man's residence, Riverside County Sheriff's Office, Indio Station deputies received an ALPR alert identifying the vehicle in their area. Deputies located the missing person shortly thereafter and ensured he was safely transported back to his residence.
This incident demonstrates the significant value of ALPR technology as a force multiplier and investigative pointer, particularly when locating medically vulnerable and cognitively impaired individuals. The combination of immediate investigative efforts, real-time intelligence, and regional law-enforcement coordination resulted in the expedient and safe recovery of a critically missing member of the community, reuniting him with his family.
Refer: Deputy E. Ortega-Torres
Station: Morongo Basin Station
Phone No. (760)366-4175
Case No. 232601510
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
