Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, 82, who has Alzheimer's disease, was reported missing from his San Marino home on Sunday but was found safe early Monday morning. According to ABC7, Baca was missing overnight after a relative or friend notified the authorities of his disappearance.
An extensive search involving multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), San Marino Police, and Pasadena Police Department Air Support, led to Baca's discovery, his identification assisted by a medical bracelet he was wearing at the time the LA County Sheriff's Department, police received a call from an El Monte restaurant owner who reported concern for someone who needed assistance, and Baca was subsequently found in good condition and reunited with his family, as confirmed by KTLA.
Baca, who led the nation's largest sheriff's department from 1998 until his resignation in 2014, has a history marked by controversy: in 2017, he was sentenced to three years in federal prison for his role in obstructing an FBI investigation into abuse within county jails and he was released in January 2022, before the incident, Baca's tenure as sheriff ended amidst a corruption scandal according to details obtained by NBC Los Angeles.
"He's been reunited with his family and resting comfortably," San Marino Police Chief John Incontro said in a statement reported by KTLA.
