Foothills man with Alzheimer's still missing
The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its search for an 82-year-old Foothills man who has been missing for nearly two weeks now.
Laurence "Jack" Doering is 6 feet 1 inch tall, 170 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He suffers from Alzheimer’s and is easily disoriented and confused. He was last seen at about 9:45 a.m. Jan. 17 driving a gold 2002 Chevrolet Suburban with Idaho license plates southbound on Foothills Boulevard.
He and his wife are from Blackfoot, Idaho, and it is possible that he may be trying to drive back there. Doering was last seen wearing a gray sweater, blue shirt, blue jeans and black shoes.
Doering, who does not usually drive, left the Foothills Plaza shopping center, 11256 S. Foothills Blvd., where he had gone to get a haircut, according to his wife. He was last seen driving in the direction of his residence but never arrived.
Capt. Eben Bratcher of the YCSO said it is not unusual for someone suffering from Alzheimer’s to want to try to go home. The agency is plotting all the potential routes that Doering could have taken and sending fliers to all of the law enforcement agencies along the way.
"I don’t think he is still in the Yuma area. If he was, I believe we would have found him by now."
Bratcher said the Yuma Sector Border Patrol’s Air and Marine Division has done an aerial search of the surrounding desert but did not find any signs of Doering or his vehicle. Also, there is no record of his car going through any of the area ports of entry into Mexico.
There has been no transactions on any of Doering’s bank accounts, according to Bratcher. "I hope that someone has taken him in and that he is someplace safe and being taken care of."
Bratcher added that when Doering went missing, he had about $100 in cash in his wallet, a quarter tank of gas in the vehicle and no food or change of clothing.
YCSO asks anyone with any information about Doering’s whereabouts to call its Foothills Substation at 342-1477 or the main line at 783-4427. They can also call the Blackfoot Police Department at 1-208-785-1234.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.
