San Diego

Amid Heat Wave, Search for Missing 85-Year-Old Man Heightens

Taiheng Sun, 85, suffers from Alzheimer's disease and speaks very little English

As a multi-day heat wave sweeps San Diego County, the search for a man missing since Thursday has intensified.

Taiheng Sun, 85, was last seen around 7 a.m. Thursday inside his family's home in the 15000 block of Maple Grove Lane in Scripps Ranch. According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), Sun's family left the home and when they returned around 7:32 p.m., Sun was gone.

According to Sun's family, he suffers from Alzheimer's disease and speaks very little English. They also told police Sun has been depressed lately and is taking medication for that.

As the search wrapped up Saturday evening, the man's family told NBC 7 they are still holding out hope he'll be reunited with them for Father's Day.

"We're hoping on Father's Day weekend to give them great news that their Father's coming home," Bob Ilko of the Scripps Ranch Civic Association said. Ilko has been helping with the search.

With the temperatures soaring, loved ones, neighbors, volunteers, and police ramped up their search efforts for Sun on Friday. The search continued Saturday, but still, no sign of the missing man.

"With this heat that we are getting, and it's supposed to get hotter, we are very concerned," SDPD Lt. Dawn Voss said.

Sun was last seen wearing a dark-colored baseball cap, a white fleece windbreaker, and dark-colored pants. Police said he does not drive and has no means of transportation; he is believed to have left his home on foot.

Neighbor Londie Benson said many people have volunteered in the search for Sun.

"We're trying to coordinate something this afternoon and go to places that we've already been to cause we don't know if he's trying to circle back and try to come home," Benson said Friday.

The Scripps Ranch Civic Association (SRCA) formed a Community Search Committee to help find the missing man. Volunteers can head to the SRCA Community Center Saturday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. to help.

Anyone who sees Sun should call San Diego police.

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