Vallejo police found a 73-year-old woman safe on Wednesday, more than two days after she went missing.
Police said Isabell Banach was last seen around 10 a.m. Monday. She has early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and was considered at risk, according to a Solano County alert. Vallejo police found Banach at an affordable-housing apartment complex for seniors in the 600 block of Sacramento Street about one hour after issuing a Silver Alert, the statewide notification for missing at-risk seniors and people with cognitive disabilities.
According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s dementia as of 2024, a number that could grow to 13.8 million by 2060. The disease presents significant risks as it progresses. A 2023 Washington Post investigation found that since 2018, more than 2,000 people wandered away from assisted living and memory care facilities nationwide, nearly 100 of whom died.
