An 89-year-old Long Beach man with a cognitive condition has not been seen since he walked out of his home with his dog Saturday morning, and police are now asking the public for help finding him. Thomas Pyle left his residence in the 2400 block of Roswell Avenue, near Willow Street and Lakewood Boulevard, at about 8 a.m. and has not turned up since.
According to MyNewsLA.com, police said Pyle may become disoriented because of his cognitive condition, and he does not have a cell phone. His destination is unknown. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, beige shorts and brown flip-flops, and was accompanied by a medium-sized orange-brown dog when he left.
Police describe Pyle as a white man standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. The Long Beach Police Department has sought public help locating him since the report went out, asking anyone who may have spotted him and his dog around the neighborhood to come forward.
The Long Beach Police Department says it investigates missing-person reports until the person is found or determined to be voluntarily missing. The agency also says the investigating department is normally the one with jurisdiction where the person lives, and directs the public to call 911 for emergencies or police dispatch with information about someone reported missing. The department’s missing-person guidance outlines that process.
A California Silver Alert was issued for Pyle through the state’s missing-person alert system. The California Highway Patrol’s criteria allow alerts for people 65 or older or those with cognitive impairments when law enforcement determines they are at risk and publicizing information could help bring them to safety.
What To Know If You See Him
Anyone with information about Pyle's whereabouts is asked to call the Long Beach Police Department missing persons detail at 562-570-7246, or Long Beach police dispatch at 562-435-6711. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or through lacrimestoppers.org.
Confusion can worsen when older adults with cognitive impairment are in unfamiliar surroundings. Dementia can affect memory, language, problem-solving and other cognitive skills, and can disrupt a person's ability to manage everyday activities.
The circumstances of Pyle's disappearance remain otherwise unclear, and it has not been confirmed whether he has since been located. Residents near Roswell Avenue, Willow Street and Lakewood Boulevard are encouraged to keep an eye out for an elderly man in flip-flops walking an orange-brown dog and to contact police immediately if they see him.
