An 82-year-old Fort Mohave woman with Alzheimer's disease who vanished from her home before sunrise Thursday has been found safe, according to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office. Graciela Shannen-Ybarra left her residence on foot around 3:30 a.m. without her medications, setting off a frantic search that ended with word she had been located unharmed.
A Pre-Dawn Disappearance on Mountain View Road
Shannen-Ybarra was last seen at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday at her home in the 5900 block of Mountain View Road, and her absence wasn't discovered until 7 a.m., according to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office, as KSNV reported. She left wearing jeans, a dark T-shirt and black shoes, and has medium-length brown, greying hair. She also wears glasses, though it was not known whether she had them on when she walked away, per the same account.
Because Shannen-Ybarra has Alzheimer's disease and did not have her medications with her, the stakes of the search were especially urgent. Authorities asked anyone living near her residence to check cameras or walk their property for any sign of her, and the sheriff's office asked the public to call 928-753-0753 with any information, the report noted.
Search Ends With Word She's Safe
By Thursday, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office confirmed Shannen-Ybarra had been found safe, though the report did not detail when, where or how she was located. The agency thanked everyone who called in with information or offered to help, according to the same account.
The outcome echoes another recent Mohave County case. In late August, 65-year-old Michael Leon Hopkins of Golden Valley went missing from his home on North Lochiel Road before he, too, was found safe days later, according to Mohave Daily News. In both cases, the sheriff's office turned quickly to the public for help, underscoring how much local tips can matter when someone wanders from home in rural Mohave County.
