Landfill Search Resumes for Missing Grandmother
Friday, Jan 16, 2009 | Updated 7:38 AM PST
Sara Mowry's DMV photo. Anyone with information on Mowry's whereabouts is asked to call (866) TIP-OCSD.
LAGUNA NIGUEL -- Crews resumed combing through a Brea landfill Friday in a search for an 82-year-old woman whose disappearance from an assisted-care facility is regarded by authorities as highly suspicious.
Some 50 searchers -- including a search and rescue team -- will be using cadaver dogs as they go through the landfill near the 1900 block of Valencia Avenue, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.
Sara Mowry, described as mentally sharp, was reported missing Tuesday by her son when he went to check on her at an assisted-care facility at 25501 Camino Los Padres, Amormino said.
Authorities were acting on an "investigative lead" when they went to the landfill Thursday afternoon, but Amormino did not elaborate on what drew them there. He said the search was called off due to darkness without anything
connected to the case having been found.
The more time passes without Mowry surfacing, the greater the possibility that she fell victim to foul play, he said.
Mowry, who last spoke to her son on Monday, left behind her walker, hearing aid, purse and medications, Amormino said.
"It would be highly unusual for her to leave without those things," he said, adding that Mowry cannot walk without assistance.
A silver 2002 Toyota Tacoma truck with a camper shell that investigators said may be involved in the case was found and impounded, Amormino said. The truck belongs to Mowry's grandson, who lent it to a friend, he said, adding
that it was being examined for clues.
Mowry does not have dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or any other medical conditions that could contribute to her disappearance, according to Amormino.
Investigators have said some inconsistencies were found in her checking account, leading them to assess the circumstances of her disappearance as "extremely suspicious," Amormino said.
Anyone with information on Mowry's whereabouts was asked to call 866-847-6273.
