Missing elderly assisted living facility resident found outdoors, safe

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An elderly woman reported missing from a Chehalis  assisted living facility was located about a block away hunkered down outside a church, cold but otherwise in good health and spirits, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

Hilda Wenz, 92, was last seen at midnight at the Chehalis West Assisted Living Center on  Northwest Quincy Place. Police were notified at 8 o’clock this morning she was missing.

Department spokesperson Linda Bailey said Wenz was found at approximately 11:17 a.m. tucked in a little cubby place outside the church on the corner of Northwest West Street and Northwest Rhode Island Avenue.

Bailey said she did not know what time the woman left the facility, but residents are not locked in there.

“I don’t know she knows where she was, really,” Bailey said.

Chehalis police issued a Silver Alert and were going door to door this morning searching. They were assisted by employees from the city’s public works department, parks and recreation department and a sheriff’s deputy, Bailey said.

Wenz was checked by medics and taken back home, Bailey said.

Tags: ,

One Response to “Missing elderly assisted living facility resident found outdoors, safe”

  1. Sasha Brewer says:

    I am so glad she was found. I was thinking about her and praying for throughout the day and night yesterday.
    Hopefully Chehalis West will learn a lesson from this. They obviously need better security and a new plan for keeping everyone inside at night.
    Just SO glad she was okay.