Sheriff’s K9 Unit helps locate missing woman from Twentynine Palms

Early Monday (September 22) at around 12:25 a.m., the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department says that they received a report of a woman missing from Twentynine Palms. They said that the woman was an unidentified 64 year-old with dementia missing out of the 6400 block of Athol Avenue. The woman’s daughter discovered her mother was missing on Saturday (September 20) and after an unsuccessful search by family and friends she contacted the Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies say they responded to the home and began a search with the assistance of K-9 handler Deputy Bakker and K-9 Naji. They say Naji tracked the missing woman’s scent north of the home, and deputies spoke to witnesses who saw the woman in that area. 

Naji continued to track the scent to Joshua Tree, and deputies were able to locate the missing woman near Twentynine Palms Highway and Sunset Road, more than 15 miles from her home. As a precaution, Sheriff’s personnel requested medical aid, and the victim was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.