Tustin : Officer’s Hunch Finds Missing Woman, 88
An 88-year-old woman missing from a rest home for 15 hours was found unharmed Tuesday morning in a grassy gulch watching cars on the Santa Ana Freeway, authorities said.
Bertha Hayward was discovered at 8 a.m. near the intersection of El Camino Real and Browning Avenue by Tustin Police Officer Clark Galliher.
“The only way we found her is he had a hunch and walked down a little dirt path and saw her sitting there,” Police Lt. Chuck Crane said. “She was completely hidden from view.”
Hayward, who is hard of hearing, was reported missing at 5 p.m. Monday from Lida’s Guest Home in the 13500 block of Diamond Head Drive, Crane said. She was found two miles away and had apparently spent the night outdoors.
Hayward has a history of walking away from her home, Crane said. “But usually we locate her in an hour or two.”
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