An 83-year-old man last seen walking near Osborne Street and Dronfield Avenue in Pacoima has triggered a statewide Silver Alert, with authorities warning he may be in danger. Ramiro Herrera was last seen Sunday at approximately 1 pm, and he is believed to be on foot, according to the alert.
The California Highway Patrol activated the Silver Alert on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department, according to a bulletin posted by CHP - Alerts. Herrera is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes; his clothing is listed as unknown. Anyone who spots him is asked to call 911 immediately, per the same alert.
The Los Angeles Police Department's Missing Persons Unit is associated with the case, though it remains unclear what circumstances led to Herrera going missing. The intersection where he was last seen sits in Pacoima, in the North San Fernando Valley, near the main access road to the Hansen Dam Aquatic Center and Recreation Area, according to the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.
How the Silver Alert System Works
California's Silver Alert program exists specifically for cases like Herrera's. Under Government Code Section 8594.10, established through Senate Bill 1047, a Silver Alert can be issued when a missing person is 65 or older, or cognitively or developmentally impaired, and law enforcement determines the person is in peril, according to the California Highway Patrol. While local departments like LAPD investigate the initial report, only the CHP's Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center has the authority to formally approve and broadcast the alert statewide.
LAPD guidelines require officers initiating a Silver Alert to enter the missing individual into the National Crime Information Center database within two hours and to arrange hourly public broadcasts through LAPD Communications. The Pacoima neighborhood falls under the jurisdiction of the LAPD Mission Community Police Station on Sepulveda Boulevard in Mission Hills, which oversees public safety across Pacoima, Mission Hills, Panorama City, and North Hills.
Why Time Matters in Cases Like This
Cases involving elderly, at-risk missing persons carry heightened urgency because of how quickly conditions can turn dangerous. Research cited by Hebrew SeniorLife found that roughly half of seniors with cognitive decline who are not located within the first 24 hours suffer severe physical injury or death. Separately, the Alzheimer's Association has found that about 60 percent of people living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia will wander away from safety at least once, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
There is some reason for cautious optimism in search efforts. Academic research on wandering behavior found that nearly half of lost, memory-impaired adults are located within one to five miles of where they disappeared, while 37 percent are found less than a mile away, according to research from the University of Florida. That pattern makes the area immediately surrounding Osborne Street and Dronfield Avenue, including the Hansen Dam grounds, a likely focus for searchers and residents keeping an eye out.
Anyone with information about Herrera's whereabouts is urged to call 911. The LAPD's Adult Missing Persons Unit, part of the Detective Support and Vice Division in downtown Los Angeles, also handles missing adult inquiries citywide through a central line, though the 911 line remains the immediate point of contact named in the alert itself.
Part of a Broader Pattern Across Los Angeles County
Herrera's case is one of several Silver Alerts issued across the region in recent days. Hoodline has covered a string of similar cases this month, including an alert for 82-year-old Paul Cepero in Glassell Park, a 67-year-old man reported missing from Pico-Union, and searches for 78-year-old Jimmy Woods and 85-year-old Clarence Gilbert. California now operates seven distinct emergency missing-person alert systems coordinated by the CHP, having expanded in recent years to include the Feather Alert and the Ebony Alert alongside the longstanding Silver and AMBER alert programs, according to the Assembly Democratic Caucus.
