Milpitas Police are asking the public to help find Lewis Hayler, an 82-year-old man who was last seen near the 80-block of Cedar Way and is considered an at-risk missing adult. He left on foot, and investigators believe he has his cellphone with him, though it is currently off.
According to a post from Milpitas Police
, Hayler is described as a white male standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 145 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a navy blue jacket and black pants. Police say he is considered at risk because of his age and conditions requiring medication.
The department is urging anyone who sees Hayler to call 911 immediately. Milpitas Police published the appeal Sunday afternoon, framing it as a search for an at-risk missing adult who needs to be located quickly.
A Familiar Street for Milpitas Search Efforts
The 80-block of Cedar Way has come up before in Milpitas missing-person cases. Back in September, Hoodline reported that a 73-year-old Milpitas man named Douglas Frank Shreve, who had left his care home on foot, was last seen near Cedar Way at about 9:20 a.m. on a Friday. That search ended with Shreve located and reunited with his loved ones, according to the earlier Hoodline report.
That same report noted that Milpitas police had launched a similar search the previous month for an 84-year-old woman who went missing on foot without a cellphone from the Great Mall, and she too was found safe. Those outcomes don't guarantee anything about Hayler's case, but they show a pattern of community searches in Milpitas for older residents who leave on foot and are later located.
Past Cases Show Searches Can Stretch Beyond City Limits
Missing-person searches involving at-risk adults in Milpitas haven't always stayed within the city. In November 2017, a 66-year-old Milpitas resident, Bienvenido Silla Amasa, was reported missing after walking away from his residence. He was later located in San Jose near North 2nd Street and East Hedding Street, according to a police press release posted on Nextdoor.
No timeline for when Hayler was last seen or further detail about his medical conditions has been released beyond what police have shared. Anyone who sees Hayler is asked to call 911.
