Tampa Police are asking the public for help finding 77-year-old Raul Diaz Rosario, who was last seen traveling on foot from the 2600 block of West Comanche Avenue. Officers say Diaz Rosario suffers from cognitive decline.
The department shared the appeal in a post on X, writing that Diaz Rosario was last seen in the area and asking anyone with information to call 813-231-6130 and reference case 26-617379, according to the Tampa Police Department
The agency also lists 911 for emergencies.
The 2600 block of West Comanche Avenue sits in Tampa's residential Wellswood neighborhood.
Why There's No Highway Alert
Unlike searches involving a vehicle, Diaz Rosario's case does not qualify for a statewide Silver Alert with dynamic highway signage, since the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reserves those activations for missing individuals believed to be traveling in a motor vehicle with an identified license plate number or other vehicle information. Per the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, foot-bound disappearances instead trigger local police broadcasts and community outreach, which is why Tampa Police turned to social media and a direct tip line rather than digital highway boards.
Florida law requires local agencies to act quickly once a missing adult report is filed. Under Florida Statute § 937.021, police must accept such reports without delay and enter missing endangered persons into the Florida Crime Information Center database within two hours of the initial report, a mandate designed to prevent investigative delays, the statute states. Florida also distributes public notifications through the Emergency Alert System, television, radio and highway signs, according to the Florida Sheriffs Association.
A Statewide Pattern Among Seniors With Memory Loss
Cases like Diaz Rosario's are far from isolated in Florida. Roughly 580,000 Florida residents aged 65 and older were living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
Recent Tampa Bay Searches Have Ended Safely
In neighboring Pinellas County, older adults make up over 21 percent of the population, a demographic reality that keeps missing senior protocols a recurring priority for area law enforcement, Hoodline has previously reported.
Earlier this month, deputies safely located 93-year-old Brandon resident Terry Rupert after a Silver Alert search by deputies, and in early October, a 72-year-old Port Richey man named Clifford Guy was found safe following an overnight search by Pasco County law enforcement. Those outcomes offer some reassurance, though Diaz Rosario's whereabouts remain unknown as of Tuesday afternoon, and Tampa Police have not released further details about the search effort beyond the initial appeal.
