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East Palo Alto police are commending a good Samaritan who helped an 81-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease find his way home after being lost all day Sunday.
Jose Ernesto Mojica left his home on Paul Robeson Court in East Palo Alto at about 3 a.m. to walk to the Palo Alto Duck Pond, which his daughter said he does occasionally, according to East Palo Alto police Sgt. Jeff Liu.
Mojica usually returns from his walks at about 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., but when he failed to come home by noon, his family reported him missing, Liu said. At about 10:15 p.m. Sunday, Douglas Galdamez was working at George & Bob’s Services, an auto repair shop on El Camino Real in Menlo Park, when he spotted an elderly man, later identified as Mojica, wandering aimlessly nearby.
“I saw him walking around where I work,” Galdamez said. “He was there for maybe 15 to 20 minutes.”
He said Mojica, who was cold and wet from the rain, told him he was lost.
“I asked him for his address and I tried to see where his house was but I couldn’t find it,” Galdamez said.
He said Mojica had a passport but there was no address on it. Galdamez realized from the passport that both he and Mojica were from El Salvador. After driving Mojica around to try to help him find his house, Galdamez brought Mojica to his own home in Menlo Park.
“He was shaking, so (my wife and I) gave him some clothes because he was soaked,” Galdamez said.
He tried to look up Mojica’s address on the Internet but couldn’t find it. After Mojica warmed up, Galdamez drove him to the Menlo Park Police Department, where his name was entered into a missing-persons database. Mojica was reunited with his family a short time later, police said.
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So wonderful Mr. Mojica was found safe and that Mr. Galmadez and his wife did so much to ensure his safety!
Walking to the duck pond at 3am isn’t very safe. I hope his family takes precautions now.
Wonderful story! Glad to hear there are still heroes out there like Mr. Galmadez. I agree with Hmmm… definitely shouldn’t be walking in that area at 3 a.m.
There are many wonderful people in this world. Mr. and Mrs. Galdamez are two of them.
Thank you Mr. Galdamez. It warms my heart to know that there are still people who watch for the welfare of others.
It’s great to hear a good news story like this. Thanks to the Galdamez’s for taking care of him!
I’m also impressed that someone was working at an auto repair shop at 10:15 pm on a Sunday.
Mr. & Mrs. Galdamez, your act of kindness is a blessing on us all.
What kind and wonderful people the Galdamez family are!
I can relate to this. My father is deceased now, but he had Alzheimer’s and used to also wander off. One time he drove the car to the other side of town and couldn’t remember how to get back. In his case it was the police who found him and brought him home several times. My mom had to resort to dead bolt locks on the doors and keeping the keys on her person.
So happy to hear that he was found, Thank god for Mr. Galdamez!
omg! i was on weeks st. when the police came up to me with a flyer asking me if i saw him! im so happy they found him;)