69-year-old missing Orange County woman found in Compton unharmed

An Orange County woman who had not been seen since she headed to a Verizon store with her two dogs was found safe Thursday morning in Compton, authorities said.

Cheryl Jean Moser, 69, was alert and unharmed when police spotted her car about 3:45 a.m., said Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

“She hasn’t slept much in the last couple days,” Moser’s son, Brian Johnson, told reporters in Compton on Thursday morning. “We’re going to let her get some rest. She was really happy and so are we. We’re glad she’s safe.”

The officer ran a check on the license plate of Moser’s Toyota Prius, which showed she had been reported missing, then called the Sheriff’s Department.

The circumstances surrounding Moser’s appearance have her family and authorities concerned.

She lives with her grandson in Dana Point and left her home about 8 a.m. Tuesday to go to a Verizon store in Highland. Authorities said she never made it.

Tracking her credit card usage, authorities said Moser’s card was used at several convenience stores and gas stations in the last two days through Orange County.

Investigators tracked down security camera footage of her in a Laguna Beach gas station with a heavily tattooed male Latino in his 30s with a buzzed haircut. Neither Moser’s family nor police know who he is.

“Where she’s been and what she’s been doing is unknown,” Amormino said. “The whole thing seems strange…she drives a Prius. You don’t need to gas up a Prius four times in one day.”

Moser’s family said she’s not as sharp as she used to be, but she’s aware and alert, Amormino said. Detectives plan on interviewing her after she gets some rest, he said.

Moser’s two dogs were with her and were unharmed.

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Joseph.serna@latimes.com

@josephserna