Police Seek Public’s Help in Search for Missing Grandfather

Tustin police are asking for help locating a slight, 77-year-old man missing since he wandered away from home Sept. 28.

Ralph Sortillion Esperanza had moved from Arizona the day before to live with his granddaughter in the 600 block of West Main Street in Tustin. Monica Garcia told investigators that he went for a walk Sept. 28 before anyone else awoke, police said.

He hasn’t been seen since, Investigator Terrie Richardson said.

“He would go out for little walks; that wasn’t really that unusual,” Richardson said.

“He’s so recognizable, I know someone’s seen him. We’re just very concerned about him.”

Esperanza is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 115 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes. He walks with a limp, wears very thick black-framed glasses, and was last seen wearing a plain black baseball cap, a white dress shirt with light blue stripes, brown pants and white tennis shoes, police said.

He also had a black garbage bag containing one or two changes of clothes, because he liked to keep his belongings with him so he wouldn’t misplace them, Garcia said. He was not carrying identification.

Esperanza has had memory problems for about 20 years, particularly since recent brain surgery, Richardson said. And because Esperanza moved so recently, Garcia said he hadn’t yet learned her phone number.

Richardson can be reached at (714) 573-3245 or the Tustin Police Department at (714) 573-3225.