Robert Coffy, a Stow man with dementia, has been missing since Nov. 9, when he left a Summit County assisted living facility. Stow police are asking the public to help locate him.
Stow police asked the public for help finding Coffy, according to Cleveland 19 News. Police said Coffy has dementia, and investigators believed he had been at the facility during the day before he went missing, per Stow police.
Sightings Trace a Path Through Stow and Cuyahoga Falls
Coffy was last seen at the Taco Bell on Graham Road in Stow and later spotted at the Acme on State Road in Cuyahoga Falls, both on Nov. 9, according to the outlet's report. The two locations are the latest confirmed sightings reported publicly.
At the last sighting, Coffy was wearing blue jeans, a white hooded sweatshirt, a black Puma hat and glasses, according to the same account. The public description included no other identifying details.
A Prior Attempt to Reach California Raises Concern
Police also told the outlet that Coffy had previously tried to get to an airport and buy a plane ticket to California. Stow police notified local airports; the report said Coffy is from California.
Anyone with information on Coffy's whereabouts is asked to contact the Stow Police Detective Bureau at 330-689-5770 during normal hours, or reach Stow police at 330-689-5700 after hours. Coffy's current status has not been confirmed beyond the sightings reported Monday.
Alert criteria and local support
Ohio law establishes a statewide alert program for missing people with a mental impairment, but activation requires additional criteria, including a credible threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death. The Ohio Revised Code does not establish whether an alert was activated in Coffy's case.
A separate case reported by Cleveland 19 News in 2022 involved a 65-year-old woman with dementia who went missing in Sagamore Hills and was later found in a wooded ravine using aerial thermal imaging; she was reported in good condition. That incident does not establish a shared cause or outcome in Coffy's case. For local support, Summit County Public Health describes its BRI Care Consultation program as care coaching for people with dementia and their caregivers.
