Phoenix police said Saturday night that 85-year-old Julio Nieves-Hernandez had been located and would be reunited with his family, ending the department’s public search. In its update, police said: “Julio has been located and will be reunited with family.”
Before the recovery, police had asked the public to help find Nieves-Hernandez and said a medical condition could cause confusion. The department’s appeal also identified the vehicle he was traveling in. Police have not said in the information provided where or when he was located, or whether an alert program was used.
How Arizona’s alert criteria apply
Arizona’s SAFE Alert program is one possible tool in missing-person searches involving older adults, but it is not automatic. The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a SAFE Alert can cover a person age 65 or older when the investigating agency requests one and meets program criteria. Those include using available local resources, determining that the disappearance is unexplained or suspicious and that the person is in danger, and finding that public information could help with a safe recovery. The information released in Nieves-Hernandez’s case does not establish that a SAFE Alert was issued.
For families facing a missing-adult case, Phoenix Police says there is no time limit for reporting someone missing. When appropriate, the department advises first checking with family and friends, hospitals, and local jails. That guidance is general and does not indicate what steps were taken in this search.
