GILROY
– Police and family members of Gilroy resident Arthur Longworth
are exhaling a sigh of relief today after the missing 88-year-old
man with severe Alzheimer’s was found outside King City this
morning.
GILROY – Police and family members of Gilroy resident Arthur Longworth are exhaling a sigh of relief today after the missing 88-year-old man with severe Alzheimer’s was found outside King City this morning.
Police began searching throughout Northern California Tuesday afternoon for Longworth, who was last seen at noon Tuesday while he waited for his wife in their van outside the Senior Center at 7371 Hanna St.
Longworth has no short-term memory and his long-term memory is described as extremely poor. Other characteristics of Alzheimer’s include disorientation, problems with judgment and a decline in the ability to perform routine tasks.
Longworth has not had a valid driver’s license in four years, and his family members were concerned with the dangers of him driving.
The Gilroy Police Department sent out a sketch and description of Longworth Tuesday to a statewide computer database used by all law enforcement agencies.
A California Highway Patrol officer found Longworth in his wife’s white, 2001 Dodge Caravan on the side of the highway outside King City this morning. Longworth had run out of gas. It was not clear how long he had been on the side of the road, but he appeared unharmed, said GPD Cpl. Ronnie Georges.
“The last time he had driven was four years ago, and he had never done anything like this before, so his family was very concerned,” Georges said. “A lot of bad things could’ve happened. I know his family is happy to go pick him up.”
Longworth takes a variety of medications, wears thick prescription glasses and uses a walker to get around. He normally accompanies his wife Dolly Longworth to her crafts activities at the Gilroy Senior Center, but he asked to stay in the car Tuesday, Georges said.
Dolly left the keys in the car because it was a warm day, and when she returned to the van from the center hours later, her husband was gone and so was the van.
“They moved (to Gilroy) from Santa Clara in September,” Georges said, “so we though he might have had a moment of clarity and driven up to Santa Clara because he knows that area better.”
Longworth had his wallet and identification with him, but he did not have any cash or credit cards, so he could not travel far from Gilroy without refueling, Georges said.
