UPDATED: Man with dementia, missing nearly 15 hours, found and returned to his family

UPDATE #5: Saturday, Feb. 24, 12:10 p.m.

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HEMET — Officials have announced that a missing man who reportedly suffers from Alzheimer’s related dementia was found nearly 15 hours after he wandered away from his Hemet home. The missing man reportedly wandered away from his home wearing only pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, and without shoes or a jacket.

After spending the entire evening and morning searching for Hoppe in foggy, sub-freezing temperatures, Hemet PD officials updated in a 11:50 a.m. social media release that they had found the missing man.

According to officials, after he is checked out and receives a medical clearance, Hoppe is expected to be returned to his grateful and worried family.

Officials did not specify what time or where Hoppe was found; however, they thanked all those who were instrumental in searching for and finding the missing man, writing in an updated post, “James has been located. We appreciate everyone in the community sharing information to help ensure he was safe.”

Amber Eady, Hoppe’s daughter, also used social media to thank all those who spent the long, cold and foggy night and morning searching for her missing father, in spite of temperatures in the Valley that dropped well below freezing.

 

UPDATE #4: Saturday, Feb. 24, 12 p.m.

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HEMET — Nearly 15 hours after he was last seen by family members, officials and citizens are still searching for a missing 60-year-old man who suffers from Alzheimer’s related dementia and is considered to be at-risk.

James “Jim” Hoppe was last seen wearing only grey pajama bottoms and a grey T-shirt shortly before he wandered away from his Hemet residence. He was not wearing shoes and was not believed to have taken a jacket with him.

According to his family Hoppe, who officials said has wandered away from his home at least twice before, recently moved to the San Jacinto Valley from Orange County. On social media, Amber Eady, the missing man’s daughter, said the previous times Hoppe was found after wandering away, he was located near highways that lead back to O.C. and he was reportedly trying to find his way “back home.”

As of 11:45 a.m., officials had not provided any updates since around 5:30 a.m., when a Sheriff’s tracking dog briefly picked up the missing man’s scent in the area of Johnston Street and Cornell Avenue.

Hemet PD’s search is active and ongoing.

 

UPDATED: Saturday, Feb. 24, 5:30 a.m.

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HEMET — More than seven hours after their extensive and exhaustive search began, officials from several area law enforcement agencies, as well as community reporters and citizens alike are still searching for a missing 60-year-old, who reportedly suffers from Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The man, James “Jim” Allen Hoppe – who has gone missing at least two other times according to Hemet PD officials, was last seen wearing nothing more than grey pajama bottoms and a grey T-shirt. His family has said Hoppe was not wearing shoes or a jacket when he wandered away from his residence.

According to officials, Hoppe was last seen by family members in the area of Val Verde Drive and Santa Fe Street in the City of Hemet around 9 p.m.

Since Hemet PD announced Hoppe’s disappearance on social media, many area residents who saw reports of the search on different Facebook news groups took to the streets and have been helping Hemet PD’s ongoing hunt.

Based on the circumstances, CHP and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department were summoned and have also been assisting with Hemet PD’s search.

The agencies have been assisting both from the ground in the form of patrol deputies and a Sheriff’s tracking dog, and for a time – while weather permitted – from the air, in the form of a Sheriff’s aviation crew searching from overhead in “Star-9.” Area Search And Rescue Team members are also assisting with the search.

As of 4 a.m., with temperatures in the San Jacinto Valley dipping below freezing and with a thick fog rolling in, law enforcement officials and private citizens were not giving up on the search.

Police and others have been following up on numerous online and called-in tips, which have reportedly placed Hoppe in the area of Gus. Jr’s, near Florida Avenue and Girard Street; near Bank of America, AM/PM and McDonald’s, in the area of Florida Avenue and Mayflower Street; and walking near and behind Wal-Greens, in the area of Florida Avenue and San Jacinto Street. Those areas range from one to two miles from the missing man’s home.

In most of those cases, people reported having seen the missing man hours before they became aware he was considered to be missing and at risk and in all of those cases, the areas have been searched and researched multiple times.

As the hunt continues and with dawn approaching, many citizens remain outside searching. Some are driving cars, others riding bicycles or motorcycles, while many are walking city streets and alleyways, and checking area parks and places where people are known to congregate late at night. Many searchers had powerful flashlights, some had nothing more than their voices to aid in the search.

Some area homeless, having heard about the missing man by police officers and search members looking for him, also decided to join in the search and as of 5:30 a.m., many could still be seen walking down darkened and foggy streets while searching for Hoppe.

Spotted searching for Hoppe in an alley that runs parallel to Florida Avenue, a man who identified himself as “Johnny Walker” explained he began helping with the search around midnight.

“We all gotta look out for each other,” Walker, who described himself as ‘not homeless, just currently between houses,’ explained. “Besides, I have three layers and a good jacket on and I’m still cold as hell. I can’t imagine how cold that old man must be.”

Shortly before 4:45 a.m., Eddie George and John Strangis of Hemet News – who have been on scene assisting with the ongoing search almost from the beginning – updated that the K-9 had possibly picked up a scent, and appeared to be tracking southbound on S. Yale Street near E. Acacia Avenue.

About one hour later, with fog so thick searchers could barely see across the street, the tracking dog picked up a second scent in the area of Cornell Street and Johnston Avenue. However, the K-9 was still working to track down the missing man.

One Valley resident who is helping in the search is Karen Kocherans, who has been searching for more than five hours. According to Kocherans, even though she knows and understands the dangers – she has been searching the area’s many drainage tunnels and ravines.

For a while Kocheran – who is searching from her Toyota pickup truck – said she could see search and rescue members using a dog, believed to be Doberman Pincher, to track Hoppe’s scent and she was hopeful the missing man would be found soon.

When asked why she chose to spend her entire night helping search for the victim in foggy, 30° temperature, Kocherans simply responded, “Because I care.”

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.

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Eddie George/Hemet News-Eye News Media live stream

 

ORIGINAL STORY WITH FIRST UPDATE

HEMET — Officials are still asking for the public’s help locating an “at-risk” missing man who was last seen wandering Hemet wearing only pajama pants and a T-shirt, with no shoes or jacket. The missing man suffers from Alzheimer’s and dementia and was last seen several hours ago in the area of Val Verde Drive and Santa Fe Street in the City of Hemet.

Officers are searching for James Hoppe, 60, who suffers from dementia and has been missing since 9 p.m., and was last seen wearing only pajamas.

According to officials, 60-year-old James Allen Hoppe wandered away from his home around 9 p.m. He was last known to be wearing only a grey T-shirt and grey pajama pants with no shoes and no jacket. James is 5’08” tall, about 190 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is assisting with Hemet PD’s ongoing search and has had an aviation crew circling overhead in one of the department’s helicopters. A Sheriff’s tracking dog was en route to assist with the search as of midnight.

With current temperatures in Hemet already down to just 38° and expected to dip even lower, at least one community news reporting group, Hemet News, has already begun helping with the search.

As the search was entering its second hour and word about the missing man began to spread, Eddie George – founder of Facebook news group Hemet News – began to share information about the ongoing search and he and his page administrators and community reporters looked for ways to put the power of the group’s nearly 43,000 members to work.

Within the hour, Hemet News had posted several Internet BOLO – or Be On The Lookout – notifications as well as a Live-Stream about the search. Hemet News had also dispatched people to the area to assist in looking for Hoppe.

Later, while discussing the ongoing search, George explained why he dedicates so much of his time reporting on community-related news and issues and going to accident and crime scenes saying, “A community that unites together survives together and it’s time we come together as a community and look out for each other instead of at each other.”

As George and Hemet News community reporter John Strangis were helping with the search and documenting the activity for the many followers of his online news group, he explained why he and so many members of his group were out in the cold helping with the search.

“We all do this because we care,” George explained. “No matter our differences, it’s important for all of us to look out for each other and help each other. And it’s most important to look out for our senior citizens and at-risk community members because they can’t defend for themselves.”

“Besides, someday we will all be in their shoes and sometimes the elderly just need a bit more help and a lending hand,” said George.

If Hoppe is located officials ask that you keep him calm and immediately contact the Hemet Police Department at (951) 765-2400.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.