Fall River police asked residents to check their home security cameras after a 77-year-old man with dementia was reported missing Monday morning, with surveillance footage showing him walking toward the Rhode Island state line within a 22-minute window. The man, identified only as Eduardo, was last seen wearing a red sweatshirt and was reported missing by his family, who told officers he has a history of wandering off while living in Boston. Eduardo was later found at the Fall River Bus Terminal, and the search concluded.
According to WJAR, police considered Eduardo endangered because of medical conditions including dementia, and they asked anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the department. Camera footage reviewed by investigators captured him traveling eastbound on Dwelly Street at around 7:40 a.m. Monday, and a second camera picked him up heading southbound on Stafford Road at 8:02 a.m., according to the Fall River Reporter. That 22-minute gap between sightings gave searchers a tight window and a clear direction of travel to work from.
The route matters because Stafford Road in southern Fall River runs directly south toward the state border with Tiverton, Rhode Island, according to Miles in Transit. At the time, that raised the possibility that the search might require coordination across the state line rather than staying confined to Fall River neighborhoods.
Police Appeal for Camera Footage and Tips
During the search, the Fall River Police Department said, “We are urging residents and businesses in the surrounding areas to remain vigilant and review any available security camera footage that may assist investigators in identifying Eduardo's direction of travel.” Police had asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the department directly.
The department has resources to draw on for the search. It operates 41 Automated License Plate Reader and surveillance cameras across the city, which officials use to track vehicle movements and generate leads during missing-person cases, per the New Bedford Light. The department also fields roughly 225 sworn officers and 55 civilian staff out of its 685 Pleasant Street headquarters serving a city of about 90,000 residents, and it maintains a trained civilian Volunteer Support Unit certified in first aid, patrol procedures, and radio communications to assist with searches, according to the Fall River Police Department.
Why Wandering Poses Such a Serious Risk
Cases like Eduardo's are far from rare among people living with dementia. Roughly six out of 10 people with dementia will wander at least once, often repeatedly, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Safety guidelines from dementia care organizations advise families to call 911 immediately, according to AgingInPlace.org; the Alzheimer's Association advises calling 911 if the person has not been found within 15 minutes.
Massachusetts has built legal infrastructure around exactly this kind of emergency. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6A, Section 18L, the state's Silver Alert Community Response System requires coordinated law enforcement communication and focused deployment of resources whenever an adult with severe cognitive impairment or dementia is reported missing, according to Mass.gov. Fall River has seen the system work before: in September 2025, police safely located 59-year-old Marlene Jubah after she wandered from home due to Alzheimer's disease, following public appeals, the Fall River Reporter reported.
Hoodline republished a police alert about Taylor Lyden's disappearance. Fall River police had asked residents to check doorbell-camera footage and businesses to review recordings for clues about what happened after 8:02 a.m.
