Faith
12-10-2008, 02:09 PM
December 10, 2008
93-year-old goes shopping for dog, disappears
By PATRICIO G. BALONA
Staff Writer
DELAND -- An elderly man left his home to buy a dog and has not been seen or heard from since, DeLand police said this morning.
Police are asking the public to let them know if they have seen Richard Osman Stratton, 93, of DeLand, said DeLand police Sgt. John Anderson.
"He's been gone for more than a day and although he does not meet the criteria for a Silver Alert we are very concerned because of his age," Anderson said. "We are actively looking for him to bring him back home safe."
Anderson said investigators are running a global positioning check on the last cell phone call Stratton made yesterday at about 7 p.m., when he said he was somewhere on Interstate 4.
According to a police report, Stratton left his University Circle home at 11 a.m. Tuesday and told his wife's caretaker he was going out to buy a dog. But Stratton did not say where he was going. The caretaker heard from Stratton at 7 p.m. but the cell phone call cut off and he has not been heard from since.
Investigators also called Stratton's cell phone and kept getting a computerized message that Stratton was not available, the report said. "He does not meet the Silver Alert system because he is not suffering from dementia or taking any medication but his age concerns us," Anderson said.
Stratton is described as white, 5-feet, 8-inches tall, 150 pounds, white hair with a balding top. He wears glasses and has a left scar on the knee. He left alone in a black four-door 2006 Ford Escort with Florida tag K99IW, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call DeLand police Lt. Pete Moon at 386-740-5920.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/breakingnews/missing121008.htm
93-year-old goes shopping for dog, disappears
By PATRICIO G. BALONA
Staff Writer
DELAND -- An elderly man left his home to buy a dog and has not been seen or heard from since, DeLand police said this morning.
Police are asking the public to let them know if they have seen Richard Osman Stratton, 93, of DeLand, said DeLand police Sgt. John Anderson.
"He's been gone for more than a day and although he does not meet the criteria for a Silver Alert we are very concerned because of his age," Anderson said. "We are actively looking for him to bring him back home safe."
Anderson said investigators are running a global positioning check on the last cell phone call Stratton made yesterday at about 7 p.m., when he said he was somewhere on Interstate 4.
According to a police report, Stratton left his University Circle home at 11 a.m. Tuesday and told his wife's caretaker he was going out to buy a dog. But Stratton did not say where he was going. The caretaker heard from Stratton at 7 p.m. but the cell phone call cut off and he has not been heard from since.
Investigators also called Stratton's cell phone and kept getting a computerized message that Stratton was not available, the report said. "He does not meet the Silver Alert system because he is not suffering from dementia or taking any medication but his age concerns us," Anderson said.
Stratton is described as white, 5-feet, 8-inches tall, 150 pounds, white hair with a balding top. He wears glasses and has a left scar on the knee. He left alone in a black four-door 2006 Ford Escort with Florida tag K99IW, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call DeLand police Lt. Pete Moon at 386-740-5920.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/breakingnews/missing121008.htm