HOUSTON — A Silver Alert has been issued for a 75-year-old man with dementia who was last seen on Saturday leaving his home in Houston's Sunnyside community.
Willie Hall, 75, was last seen wearing a white shirt, blue pants and burgundy shoes along Kewanee Street near Scott Street. Police described Hall as being around 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 178 pounds with brown eyes and gray hair.
If you have any information about where he may be, you're asked to call the Houston Police Department's Missing Persons Division at 832-394-1840 or patrol at 713-884-3131.
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What is a Silver Alert?
Silver Alerts are issued for people who are at least 65 years old or those who have been diagnosed with a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's Disease, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
There is no 24-hour waiting period required to report a person missing, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Texas' Silver Alert program was created by the Texas Legislature in 2007 and is designed to notify the public of missing older adults with a documented mental condition.
Certain criteria must be met for a statewide Silver Alert to be issued:
- Is the missing person 65 years of age or older or been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease?
- Does the senior citizen have a diagnosed impaired mental condition, and does the senior citizen's disappearance pose a credible threat to the senior citizen's health and safety? (Law enforcement shall require the family or legal guardian of the missing senior citizen to provide documentation from a medical or mental health professional of the senior citizen's condition).
- Is it confirmed that an investigation has taken place verifying that the senior citizen's disappearance is due to his/her impaired mental condition, and alternative reasons for the senior citizen's disappearance have been ruled out?
- Is the Silver Alert request within 72 hours of the senior citizen's disappearance?
- Is there sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the senior citizen? (Highway signs will be activated only if accurate vehicle information is available AND it is confirmed that the senior citizen was driving the vehicle at the time of the disappearance).
