In a public call for assistance, California Highway Patrol disseminated a SILVER ALERT over social media for a 94-year-old man reported missing in Oakland on January 31, 2024. Ren Chen, described as a 5'7" male weighing 140 pounds with black and gray hair and brown eyes, was last seen around 1 p.m. near 9th Street and Oak Street in Alameda County. Concerns are heightened due to his advanced age and the possibility that he might require assistance.
Officials have urged anyone with information on Chen's whereabouts to immediately contact 911. Clad in a dark baseball hat, black hooded sweatshirt, and jeans, Chen is presumed to be traveling on foot. The alert, covering Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties was circulated by the California Highway Patrol via their official Twitter page in the early hours of February 1st, seeking the public's help in locating the at-risk individual.
SILVER ALERT - Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties.
— CHP - Alerts (@CHPAlerts) February 1, 2024
Last seen: 9th Street and Oak Street, Oakland @oaklandpoliceca
IF SEEN, CALL 9-1-1 pic.twitter.com/ShcAW7z09a
Silver Alerts are used by law enforcement to broadcast information about individuals, particularly seniors with conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer's who go missing, similar to Amber Alerts for missing children.
The Oakland Police, which has been working in tandem with the CHP to aid in the search, has not yet released any additional updates on the status of the search for Chen.
