Santa Rosa police asked residents near Juilliard Park and the SOFA district to check their yards as they searched for a 78-year-old woman with dementia who went missing Monday morning. Marcia Wilson was last seen leaving a residence in the 700 block of Oak Street at approximately 8 a.m. on October 12. Ring camera footage showed her leaving home. She remained missing as of October 13.
According to the Santa Rosa Police
, Wilson was considered missing at risk because of her medical conditions, which include dementia and high blood pressure requiring medication, as well as difficulty maintaining her balance that leaves her prone to falling. Police described her as 5 feet 6 inches tall, about 135 pounds, with white hair and blue eyes. She was reported wearing a purple tank top and white-and-blue pajama-style pants. During the search, anyone who spotted her in Santa Rosa was asked to call the department at 707-528-5222, while sightings outside the city were to be reported to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction there.
A Familiar, Frightening Pattern
This is not the first time Wilson has walked away from her Oak Street home. She went missing under similar circumstances on February 18, 2026, and was found three days later hiding in neighborhood bushes, according to reporting at the time by SFGATE, which noted she had a scar on her forehead from a recent fall and often relied on a walker that she sometimes left behind. Police also asked residents to check their yards during the search, KTVU reported.
During the search, Santa Rosa police asked residents near the park and arts district to check their yards.
Why Every Hour Matters
The Alzheimer’s Association, as cited by Cleveland Clinic, estimates that up to 60 percent of people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias will wander at least once. Cleveland Clinic says missing dementia patients face up to a 50 percent risk of severe injury or death after 24 hours, driven by exposure, falls, and missed medication.
California’s Silver Alert framework includes eligibility involving age or cognitive impairment under Government Code Section 8594.10. The section is linked to Senate Bill 1047, passed in 2012.
Recent Local Precedent
Santa Rosa has seen this kind of search succeed before. An 89-year-old man with Alzheimer's was safely located in September after the California Highway Patrol activated a regional Silver Alert on behalf of Sonoma County deputies during a 24-hour search. Wilson remained missing as of October 13.
During the search, residents who saw Wilson were urged to call Santa Rosa police.
