potashZOZO, NM (KRQE) – An elderly man from Arizona ends up at a gas station in New Mexico. He didn’t know where he was. Three convenience store clerks entered there.
“Well, when he first came here, he came in and said he got lost. He was going to Chinlu, but he didn’t know where it was.” said Melissa Zamora, a clerk at Valero.
Melissa Zamora is a clerk at the Valero petrol station in Carrizozo.
She said that when 80-year-old Vietnam veteran Wilson B. Shirley came to her store, she immediately realized something was wrong.
She said he left the store, but came back a second time. When they asked him some questions, they found he was confused and needed help.
“I said it jokingly at first, but I hope this guy doesn’t fall victim to the Silver Alert,” Zamora said.
Melissa’s suspicions were correct. Wilson is from Round Rock, Arizona and has dementia.
His family believes Wilson got into his car on January 10 and drove to visit family in Albuquerque. That’s when he got lost.
The Navajo Nation Police Department issued a Silver Alert on the same day.
“When we first heard that Wilson was missing, it was of course shocking and very painful, but I think we were hopeful,” explained niece Alana Beautiful Bald Eagle. bottom.
The clerk charged Wilson’s dead phone and began making calls from there. Wilson’s family said their prayers were answered when they received a call from a gas station in Valero.
“I am happy to be with my family again,” said Vietnam Veteran Wilson B. Shirley Sr.
The store clerk said he also has a family member who suffers from dementia and understands the stress families are going through.
“I think we were really happy to be in the right place at the right time. Like I said, we were able to meet beautiful souls. It was good.”
Wilson is now back in Arizona. His children were very grateful.
You can read their statement:
Thank you family and friends for their efforts, thoughts and prayers. My sincere thanks to Officer Bennery of the Navajo National Police Missing Persons Service. We believe he far exceeded the demands of his duties. Thank you to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the New Mexico State Police, the City Police Department, and all Sheriff’s Departments who participated in this search. Now we want to send a huge thank you to the citizens of New Mexico. Without your help, we would never have found my father. Especially he is three clerks at the Valero petrol station. Domonic, Melissa and Selma Zamora. Three clerks who noticed his father’s confusion and took action.
Without these institutions and people, I believe this could have turned out differently. Dementia is a condition that affects many families. We should all remain vigilant with the Silver Alert. Social media has become a new and very useful tool to help in these situations. Once again, thank you very much for your cooperation in the search for my father.
– Shirley family
