Search for disoriented woman ends in Madison Township home

Jul. 26—A disoriented 76-year-old woman who left Lantern of Madison assisted living facility was eventually located in a home on Hubbard Road in Madison Township.

According to a news release, on July 24 at approximately noon, the Madison Township Police Department responded to the 2100 block of Hubbard Road to check the welfare of an individual reported walking in the roadway.

A motorist reported seeing an elderly woman walking southbound in the northbound lane of travel. The motorist said the woman appeared disoriented and unaware of her surroundings.

At 12:01 p.m., officers arrived in the area and began looking for the woman, but efforts to locate her were unsuccessful.

According to the department release, at approximately 1 p.m., an officer was approached by an employee from the Lantern of Madison. The employee indicated that they believed a missing resident of the facility had been located by the police department. It was further determined that the resident, whom the employee identified as a 76-year-old woman, was last seen exiting the lockdown facility at approximately 11:45 a.m.

At this time, a "Reverse 9-1-1" notification was sent to residents north of Route 20 between County Line Road and Hubbard Road. The alert also was disseminated through the Lake County Sheriff's Office's social media platforms.

When preliminary efforts to locate her were unsuccessful, assistance of the Lake County Regional Drone Team and Perry Village Police Department's K-9 Units was requested.

Madison Fire District, Perry Fire District and Harpersfield Township Fire Department also responded with utility/all-terrain vehicles. In addition, the Ohio Branch K-9 Search Team responded and began assisting with search efforts.

According to the news release, for approximately five hours, all agencies worked together checking businesses and fields, reviewing home surveillance footage and following-up on leads from the community.

At approximately 7:40 p.m., officers were advised that a Hubbard Road resident had just discovered that a woman had entered his home. Officers responded to the residence and determined it was the woman in question.

Madison Fire District also responded to the home and checked her physical welfare. She stated that she was exhausted from her travels and admitted to hiding from the police to avoid being located.