San Diego

Search and Rescue Team Deployed to Find Missing Vista Man

Francisco Larios was last seen in Vista on Sunday morning.

All hands were on deck Tuesday night in the search for an 83-year-old man who went missing from his Vista home Sunday morning.

Francisco Larios, 83, wandered off from his home on the 100 block of Lado De Loma Drive. 

Family, friends, community members, and the Armadillo Search and Rescue Team spent most of the day Monday searching for Larios near the Vista Village Shopping Center.

Search and rescue K-9's tracked Larios' scent to a Lowe's hardware store in the center. The store has surveillance cameras that may have picked up Larios.

The search team also combed through a mile of creekbed that runs behind the shopping center.

Cesar Ortigoza with the Armadillo team said investigators have been trying to find out what Larios' interests are and what places he's familiar with so they can track him down. Making the search effort more difficult is the fact that Larios recently suffered a stroke. His family says the left side of his brain isn't responding and he can't speak.

Larios is 5 feet 2 inches tall with gray hair and brown eyes. He also has a thick gray mustache and sideburns. He was last seen wearing a gray long-sleeve T-shirt.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department deputies said Larios has been taking high cholesterol and heart medications. 

He did not have a cell phone, money or wallet in his possession at the time of his disappearance. His family says has never wandered off before.

The Armadillo team and other search volunteers plan to return to the area Wednesday to continue the hunt.

Larios' granddaughter Carla Vargas told NBC 7 Monday that he was last seen Sunday at around 6:30 a.m. before family members left the house for church. When they came back home at around 8 a.m. he was gone.

Vargas said they immediately called the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) and notified other family members.

The SDSO ASTREA helicopter launched and was searching for Larios. The family has since posted his photos on Facebook and other social media and placed flyers around town.

Anyone with information on Larios’ whereabouts is asked to call the SDSO  at (858) 565-5200.

All hands were on deck Tuesday night in the search for an 

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