A 46-year-old woman who left Concord Hospital without permission was located in Concord and taken into custody Wednesday night after a search that stretched for hours and drew in a state police helicopter. Keri Pagnozzi, a patient at New Hampshire Hospital who was receiving care at Concord Hospital, prompted a multi-agency response before she was found near Pleasant Street.
According to the Concord Monitor, Pagnozzi left the hospital facility without permission, triggering assistance from New Hampshire State Police, the State Office Complex Police Force and the Concord Police Department. New Hampshire Hospital, where Pagnozzi had been a patient, provides acute psychiatric care, as NBC Boston reports. That outlet also noted she was reported missing Wednesday and was not believed to pose a threat to the public.
Items Found Near Rum Hill Road
As the search unfolded, items believed to have been in Pagnozzi's possession were found in the area of Rum Hill Road, according to WMUR. A state police helicopter was seen circling the area as officers worked to track her movements, the station reported.
The break in the search came at 8:09 p.m., when authorities received a report of a possible sighting of Pagnozzi in the area of Pleasant Street, per the same account. She was located and taken into custody in Concord that night.
Pending Warrants, Few Details
Police took Pagnozzi into custody on pending warrants, though details about those warrants were not immediately shared, the WMUR report notes. Officers have not said how she is believed to have left the hospital's care.
Descriptions of Pagnozzi's appearance varied slightly across accounts during the search. Patch described her as about 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing around 130 pounds, with a shaved head, wearing a black T-shirt, gray sweatpants and green sneakers. A separate description from the City of Concord characterized her hair as gray in a crew cut rather than shaved.
Accounts of how long the search lasted also differed. The Concord Monitor reported the search lasted at least five hours, while Patch described it as an eight-hour search around Concord. Police had urged anyone who spotted Pagnozzi or someone matching her description to call 911 while the search was active.
