Port St. Lucie police searching for missing 93-year-old woman with dementia

Will Greenlee, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Updated ·2 min read

PORT ST. LUCIE — Dozens of Port St. Lucie police officers continued searching Friday afternoon for a missing 93-year-old woman with what was described as late-stage Alzheimer’s, an acting assistant chief said.

Ana Delacruz walked away from her home in the 2400 block of Southeast Melaleuca Boulevard Friday morning. The address is east of U.S. 1 in southeast Port St. Lucie. Delacruz wore a teal dress with white flowers, and last was seen at 9:40 a.m. Friday.

Ana Delacruz
Ana Delacruz

“She’s new to the area. Recently moved here from New Jersey,” Acting Assistant Chief Marc DiMeo said. “She’s been here for a few months.”

Police said she was living with family members.

“This could be anyone's grandmother. This could be your grandmother. This could be your mother,” DiMeo said. “We're asking for the assistance of the public to help us find this woman and bring her back.”

DiMeo spoke about 3:30 p.m. Friday at Southeast Melaleuca Boulevard and Southeast Caliph Street, which was crowded with police and a number of law enforcement vehicles.

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He said resources including about 30 officers, helicopters from the sheriff’s offices in St. Lucie and Martin counties, drones, an ATV and a bloodhound from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office were participating.

He said Delacruz, who does not have a cell phone, last was seen headed east on Southeast Melaleuca Boulevard.

Several Port St. Lucie police vehicles crowded Southeast Caliph Street and Southeast Melaleuca Boulevard about 3:15 p.m. Friday, May 19, 2023, as efforts to search for Ana Delacruz, 93, continued throughout the day. She has what was described by police as late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Several Port St. Lucie police vehicles crowded Southeast Caliph Street and Southeast Melaleuca Boulevard about 3:15 p.m. Friday, May 19, 2023, as efforts to search for Ana Delacruz, 93, continued throughout the day. She has what was described by police as late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

She’d been in the backyard of her home earlier in the morning walking, DiMeo said.

“They assumed the gate was latched,” DiMeo said. “She was able to get out past the gate and started heading eastbound.”

He said family members called 911, and that this has happened in another state.

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“The main reason we're out here and putting so much resources into this is primarily her age,” DiMeo said. “And obviously the heat that we're in right now.”

Temperatures late Friday afternoon were in the mid to upper 80s, but with humidity factored in, felt like lower 90s.

Port St. Lucie police unload a drone at Southeast Caliph Street and Southeast Melaleuca Boulevard about 3:15 p.m. Friday, May 19, 2023, in an effort to search for Ana Delacruz, 93. She has what was described by police as late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Port St. Lucie police unload a drone at Southeast Caliph Street and Southeast Melaleuca Boulevard about 3:15 p.m. Friday, May 19, 2023, in an effort to search for Ana Delacruz, 93. She has what was described by police as late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

He said investigators have checked hospitals and are checking businesses on the U.S. 1 and Southeast Lennard Road corridors.

Those with information about Delacruz’s location are asked to contact 911.

Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on Twitter @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Ana Delacruz missing in Port St. Lucie, described as having dementia