As temperatures continue to dip across the region, authorities said Wednesday they have distributed hundreds of fliers and are using a K-9 tracking dog, thermal imaging by aircraft, and drones to search for an at-risk Petaluma woman missing since Tuesday.
Virginia Fuquay, 68, was seen about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday leaving a home in the 1400 block of Mountain View Avenue, Petaluma police said.
She was wearing a red short-sleeved blouse without a jacket, black pants and orange slip-on shoes. Fuquay may have dementia, and is described as Filipino, 5 feet tall, weighing about 90 pounds, with gray/brown hair. Authorities don't think she is carrying a mobile phone or purse.
Petaluma police are asking residents to check cars, sheds and garages where she may have sought shelter.
A resident told authorities they spoke to Fuquay about 5 p.m. Tuesday on Mountain View Avenue, near Cochrane Way. Fuquay apparently asked how to find a bus to Suisun City.
Investigators also found surveillance video of Fuquay on Petaluma Boulevard South, near H Street, at 5:45 p.m. She was walking by herself northbound on the west side of the road.
Police have checked all bus stops and contacted bus companies looking for leads. There was a report that a woman matching her description was seen on McNear Avenue at Mission Drive around 8 a.m. Wednesday.
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The California Highway Patrol airplane used a thermal imaging device in the search, and the Petaluma Fire Department used its rescue boat to search the Petaluma River, near Petaluma Blvd South, police said.
Search teams have searched large areas of southwest Petaluma and a possible second residence for Fuquay in San Rafael.
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The police department has issued a Silver Alert, distributed hundreds of fliers in downtown Petaluma, and sent out missing person bulletins to allied law enforcement agencies.
About 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team began a coordinated search starting in the 1400 block of Mountain View Avenue, and the sheriff also provided its drone and dual-purpose motorcycle teams.
Police urge anyone who sees Fuquay to contact Petaluma Police Department Dispatch center at (707) 778-4372.
