La Mesa
A 68-year-old La Mesa woman who has Alzheimer’s disease found her way back home Monday afternoon after she apparently became disoriented while driving home from church Sunday.
La Mesa Police Lt. Keith Sears said Leah Davis had apparently become lost while driving around and ended up “spending the night in her car somewhere west of La Mesa.”
Meanwhile, her son, Phil Dobranski, had contacted the police about the disappearance of Davis, whose Alzheimer’s disease had been progressing steadily for nine years.
Dobranski searched the La Mesa area, including a neighborhood where the family once lived. He combed the nearby Grossmont shopping mall, where Davis liked to have lunch, and checked with her bank to determine how much money she may have had.
Dobranski said he kept thinking of another La Mesa family who in December experienced a similar trauma when 56-year-old Paul Peterson, who also has Alzheimer’s disease, disappeared for almost three weeks.
Family members searched the city for weeks, including Tijuana, which Peterson enjoyed visiting on occasion. On Dec. 26, when Peterson was finally found, he was curled into a fetal position on a curb in downtown Tijuana; he had lost 30 pounds.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
