A Silver Alert is active for Manuel Lozano, a Merced man last seen near K Street and M Street. The bulletin gives that intersection as his last known location.
A bulletin from CHP - Alerts tags the Merced Police Department.
. Anyone who spots Lozano is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately. Residents with non-urgent tips can also contact the Merced Police Department.
Contact details should be confirmed through current city information.
The report does not provide a station address.
Why the Alert Meets California's Legal Bar
California's Silver Alert system exists under Government Code Section 8594.10, enacted through Senate Bill 1047 in 2012, which gives the California Highway Patrol authority to coordinate public notifications for missing people who are 65 or older or cognitively impaired, per FindLaw. Before local police can trigger one of these alerts, they must confirm five statutory conditions, including that local search resources have been exhausted, that the disappearance is unexplained or suspicious, and that the missing person faces danger due to age, health, or environmental factors, according to the state government's own guidance found at CA.gov. Requests like the one filed for Lozano are reviewed around the clock by CHP's Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center in Sacramento, the agency's central command hub for coordinating these bulletins statewide, per the California Highway Patrol.
The legal reach of the program has grown since its creation. A later measure, Senate Bill 1127, expanded the original 2012 Silver Alert program beyond senior citizens to cover missing individuals of any age with developmental disabilities or cognitive impairments, according to California Legislative Information. CHP's alerting tools can include social media posts through the @CHPAlerts account, Be-On-The-Lookout broadcasts to local law enforcement, electronic flyers, and the Emergency Digital Information Service, per CalAlerts.org.
Search Area Near K and M Streets
Lozano's last known location places the search near K Street and M Street in Merced. The location provides a defined area for the search.
The Silver Alert system is one of six statewide public alerting mechanisms CHP operates, alongside AMBER Alerts, Blue Alerts, Feather Alerts, Ebony Alerts, and Endangered Missing Advisories, the agency notes. The article provides no percentage for how often people with Alzheimer's disease or related cognitive impairments wander. California's Silver Alert program covers older adults and people with cognitive impairments.
No further updates on Lozano's condition or whereabouts have been released. Anyone with information is urged to call 9-1-1 right away.
