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Missing Astoria woman found safe

Missing Astoria woman found safe

Late Saturday afternoon, Astoria Police posted alerts about a missing woman in the South Slope neighborhood of Astoria. The agency sent out Facebook posts, texts, and a reverse 911 call to residents of the South Slope area.

They’d received a report from family members that 74-year-old Maria Rico had gone missing from her residence. Rico reportedly suffers from dementia.

For the next several hours until dark and beyond, officers searched for Rico. They were assisted by the Clatsop County Search and Rescue Team, the Astoria Fire Department, Warrenton Police, and the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office.

Numerous community members on foot, in cars and on bicycles also searched the neighborhood, hoping to catch sight of the missing woman. They did not find her.

Then on Sunday morning around 7:30, a community member spotted Rico near Gray Elementary School and notified a Search and Rescue member who was in the area.

Astoria Police said in a followup Facebook post that Rico was safe, and had managed to find dry shelter somewhere last night. Emergency personnel evaluated her, determined she was well, and returned her to her family.

The Astoria Police Department would like to thank community members who called in information and offered assistance in locating Mrs. Rico, as well as other area law enforcement agencies who participated in the search.