CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police said an elderly man who suffers from cognitive issues and had been missing all morning has been found and that he is safe.
#GOOD NEWS missing 77-year-old Clt man found safe. But he say he walked away from home and was found near South Park Mall
— Mark Becker (@MarkBeckerWSOC9) February 21, 2020
Officers were called around 5:30 a.m. Friday to an apartment complex on Leafcrest Lane, off Archdale Drive in south Charlotte.
A relative of Robert Groom told police the 77-year-old man left his home about 30 minutes earlier wearing a teal and white Carolina Panther’s jacket, jeans, slippers and an Army-green baseball cap.
Groom suffers from cognitive issues, and his family was very worried about his safety.
Just after noon, the man was found near the SouthPark Mall, police said. He was OK and was being reunited with his family.
Grooms was celebrating his son’s birthday at the apartment complex and was supposed to stay the night. His son believes he was trying to walk to his west Charlotte home more than seven miles away, but he has memory issues.
Awful: Robert Groom disappeared after celebrating his son’s birthday (pictured) at a south Charlotte apartment complex. He was supposed to stay the night, but instead walked off. He’s now been missing for nearly 7 hours. The latest on the search ahead on @wsoctv at noon. pic.twitter.com/CTgzvmH6sA
— Anthony Kustura (@AnthonyWSOC9) February 21, 2020
“I ran out. He was up in the parking lot, and so I came back in to get clothes, and by the time I came back out he was gone,” Barry Groom said. “They’re looking. They’re all out there in high numbers, so that’s good. I appreciate them.”
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