Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : ‘Charlie,’ a Lancaster Fixture, Reported Missing : Police: Authorities say disappearance of man who peddled jewelry is suspicious, but say there is no evidence of foul play.

Most people know him simply as “Charlie,” a talkative old man who walks bent over at the waist and for many years has been devoted to a daily routine of feeding day-old bread to birds and selling jewelry door-to-door.

But nobody has seen Charlie for more than a week, and the break in his routine--some parts of which have lasted 25 years--is worrisome enough to residents that authorities are now listing him as a missing person and seeking the public’s assistance in finding him.

“If he’s not around, something’s happened to Charlie,” said Elois Corpening, a retired Lancaster resident who has known Charlie for nearly 20 years. “He’s not the type to disappear.”

Charles Radice, 76, is considered a local fixture in the high desert, known for telling stories, writing poems and drawing posters depicting the history of the Antelope Valley. He was last seen May 15 near his downtown Lancaster home, visiting a neighbor in the area of 10th Street West and Avenue J-4, said Deputy Paul Ullman of the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station.

A friend reported Charlie missing to police on Monday, sending waves of concern through the community.

“I don’t want to think about what happened to him,” said Dawne Gilchrist, a chef at The Whole Wheatery bakery in Lancaster, where Charlie picked up bread for the birds. “We don’t want anything negative to happen to him. It’s so out of character for him to disappear.”

An old station wagon Charlie used to drive is also gone from the modest yellow single-story home he rented and shared with his grandson, Tim, 32, who declined to give his last name. Tim said he considers the disappearance odd, since his grandfather always came home before, but never grew worried enough to call police.

“I never really figured anything had happened to him,” he said, adding, “I’ll sit around and wait for him, I guess.”

Friends said Charlie was born in New York and was awarded three Silver Stars during his service in World War II. He has spent most of his life in Lancaster doing a variety of jobs, from driving a taxi to washing dishes in a restaurant.

During more recent years he spent mornings feeding the numerous cats--nobody knew exactly how many--at his home before heading out to various local stores. Once there he would tell stories and sell wares to employees, or set up a table in front so he could conduct business. Charlie came by the bakery, in a shopping center about a mile from his home, for about an hour every afternoon, Gilchrist said. She said part of his routine included buying day-old bread to feed to birds in the parking lot.

“He’s very talkative,” she said. “He talks about everything. The news, politics, himself.”

“He sings, too,” she added with a laugh. “Romantic stuff.”

Gilchrist said she first encountered Charlie at her house eight years ago during one of his door-to-door jewelry peddling expeditions, which continued until his disappearance. She said her first impression was not entirely favorable.

“At first he kind of startles you because he comes over very strong,” she said. “He’s not afraid of anybody.”

But Gilchrist said she bought some jewelry from him during that first encounter and that other employees at the bakery are regular customers of his.

Although investigators consider Charlie’s disappearance “suspicious,” they have no evidence yet of foul play and there is no indication that anyone was threatening to harm Charlie, said Sgt. Bruce Burleson. But Corpening said her friend could easily have been the victim of a random crime.

Charlie is a white male about 5 feet 9 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes, according to police. He usually wears a baseball cap and wire-rimmed glasses. Anybody with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station at (805) 948-8466 or the sheriff’s homicide bureau at (213) 890-5500.

Residents such as Corpening can only hope someone has an innocent explanation for Charlie’s disappearance.

“He’s just somebody who’s always here,” she said. “If Charlie would always be missing it would leave a big absence, a big void here.”