ATTLEBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Attleboro are turning to the public for help in tracking down a 73-year-old woman with onset dementia who they say left a nursing home with a man she befriended at the assisted living facility.
Dorothy Lucas was reported missing by staff members after she checked herself out of a facility at in the city around 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Attleboro Police Department.
Lucas reportedly left the facility in the company of a 51-year-old Mark Chicoine, of Attleboro. Chicoine is known to Lucas, and he is said to have befriended her while he was visiting another resident at the nursing home.
Police were notified of Lucas’ disappearance around 10:30 p.m. after she failed to return to the facility.
Lucas was last seen wearing a red or orange jacket. She has white hair and has limited mobility. She was initially reported as having been in a wheelchair, but police say detectives have been able to confirm that she is not restricted to a wheelchair and is able to walk.
Lucas is also said to be an insulin-dependent diabetic, and it is believed that she does not have her required medication with her. She reportedly suffers from an altered mental status due to the onset of dementia.
Chicoine is described as a white man, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and about 160 pounds. He is believed to be operating a white Jeep Patriot SUV with Massachusetts registration 573-WT7.
Police say the “unusual withdrawal” of money gives investigators concerns about the potential of Lucas being financially exploited.
An initial investigation revealed Chicouine and Lucas may have been at the Santander Bank on Park St. in Attleboro around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday and in North Kingston, Rhode Island, on Sunday morning.
A Silver Alert was put out on Lucas on Sunday night. Police say they have concerns about her well-being and access to medication, which she needs.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call the Attleboro Police Department at 508-222-1212.
An investigation is ongoing.
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