An 82-year-old Bella Vista woman who police said may have dementia was found safe Saturday afternoon, a day after she was reported missing following a sighting on Highway 62 in Rogers. Kathleen Woxland had last been seen driving a gold 2015 Toyota Highlander SUV with Wisconsin license plates, prompting an alert from Bella Vista police asking the public for help finding her.
Bella Vista police shared Saturday afternoon that Woxland had been located and was safe, according to nwahomepage.com, which reported that she had been reported missing Friday night after last being seen earlier that evening. The update came roughly a day after officers first sought the public's help finding her, according to 5News, which reported that the Bella Vista Police Department confirmed Woxland had been found safe.
Police said Woxland left her Bella Vista home Friday morning in the gold SUV, and she was last seen wearing a blouse of an unknown color and blue jeans. Officers described her as five feet tall, with blue eyes and short gray hair. Investigators said she was seen on camera traveling east on Highway 62 in Rogers, and she may have been traveling with her 35-pound black-and-white dog.
Searchers Noted a Mismatched Vehicle Photo
Police cautioned that a photo shared alongside the missing-person alert did not actually show Woxland's vehicle, a detail that could have complicated efforts by anyone trying to spot the SUV on the road. The alert nonetheless gave the public a description of the Wisconsin-plated Highlander to watch for as officers worked to track her movements east of Bella Vista toward Rogers.
Bella Vista police had asked anyone with information about Woxland's location to call the department at 479-855-3771 while the search was active. The department's broader mission includes responding to community welfare concerns like missing-person reports, part of the public safety work outlined on the Bella Vista Police Department's website.
