CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Sgt. Glen Lucas
603-788-4850 603-271-3361
August 8, 2019
Whitefield, NH – Conservation Officers were called to assist the Whitefield Police Department with a search for a missing woman suffering from dementia. 83-year-old Anicia Garcia of Whitefield wandered away from her residence on Littleton Road sometime between the hours of 6:30 PM on August 6 and 10:25 AM on August 7.
Prior to Conservation Officers arrival, Whitefield Police started a quick cursory search around the immediate area of the residence. During the search they were alerted to Garcia’s cell phone location using GPS software. This brought the police to a wooded area off Douglas Drive in Bethlehem within 5 miles of her residence. At this location, Whitefield Police received assistance from Bethlehem Police Department and employees from Chicks Sand and Gravel. An extensive search of the GPS location was completed and Garcia was not found.
After the GPS location was thoroughly searched, responding personnel went to her residence on Littleton Road to start to search again from her point last seen. Conservation Officer Eric Fluette and K-9 Moxie arrived at the residence and requested a scent article of Garcia’s in order to attempt to follow her scent from where it was reported that she had left the residence.
This article was used to discriminate her scent from others. This K-9 team followed Garcia’s scent toward an unused set of railroad tracks. Once at the tracks, the K-9 team continued to follow the scent and located Garcia approximately ¼ mile from her residence.
Garcia was found lying on the ground unable to move without assistance. Conservation Officer Fluette requested additional personnel to walk Garcia back to her residence where she was evaluated by Whitefield EMS. She was not transported from the scene, but released to her family for care.