Missing elderly man is found
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on August 4, 2016 1:46 PM
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Arthur Pickens
An 81-year-old Eureka man who went missing on July 26 has been found in Capitol Heights, Md.
Arthur Pickens, who was living with his daughter in Eureka at 104 Jones St., reportedly left the home on July 26 and did not return.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., found Pickens when he waved an officer down for help, said detective Eric Pierce with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
Pickens was in fairly good health when he was found, but a bit disoriented, Pierce said.
According to an incident report filed at the time of Pickens' disappearance, he has dementia and memory loss and had not been taking his medication for either condition when he went missing.
Pierce said Pickens was unable to say why he traveled to Capitol Heights, but that Pickens is from the Washington, D.C., area originally and has only been living with his daughter in Eureka since July 15.
According to Pierce, Pickens made his way to Washington, D.C., where he located his vehicle and then drove into Capitol Heights. Pierce said authorities are not entirely sure how Pickens made his way to Washington, D.C.
"We don't really know for sure," Pierce said. "We believe he hitchhiked. We did check all the bus and train stations we could and he had not purchased a ticket for a trip anywhere."
Pierce said Pickens claimed to have driven to Washington, D.C., originally, but that detectives knew that to be false since Pickens did not bring his vehicle to Wayne County when he moved here.
Pierce said Pickens was found when he used a Metro PCS phone to make a call, and then flagged an officer down for help.
Pierce said was taken to Howard Hospital in Washington, D.C., and has family in that area.