Search Ongoing For Missing At-Risk Stockton Man
STOCKTON (CBS13) – Search dogs and police on dirt bikes were being deployed during the search for an at-risk missing man in Stockton who was last seen on Sunday.
Family members are desperate for clues that will bring Enrique Gomez home.
"He has family, a wife of 49 years, children, grandchildren that love him," said a niece, Vida Aceve.
The 78-year-old, who suffers from dementia, vanished after leaving his home on Olympic Circle to go to the store Sunday morning.
Since then police search dogs tracked Enrique's scent near a canal off of East Copperopolis Road. Investigators on dirt bikes combed the area for clues.
"We are throwing a lot of resources at this, preparing for the worst and hoping for the best," Stockton police Officer Pete Smith said.
Family members also flagged down cars near the search site and passed out fliers.
"He's probably just following a path and tried to get home himself," niece Carmen Carrase said.
By mid-afternoon Thursday, relatives learned about a possible sighting, a man matching Enrique's description was spotted walking down Kaiser Road on Wednesday.
But that lead ran dry, and there's still no sign of the missing man. Relatives say Enrique's birthday was Tuesday.
"We want to celebrate with him as a family," Aceve said.
Gomez is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue canvas jacket with a white horizontal stripe and white collar, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Stockton police.
