87-Year-Old Man Vanishes After Going To Queens To Volunteer At Senior Center

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A family is asking for the public's help in finding a missing 87-year-old man who disappeared over the weekend after making a routine trip to volunteer in Queens.

Julio Gonzalez walked out of his assisted living apartment on West 46th Street in Manhattan as part of his normal routine Saturday morning. He regularly takes the No. 7 train to volunteer at the Elmhurst Senior Center during the week, CBS2's Emily Smith reported.

When he arrived at the center, a security guard told him the facility was closed, and that's the last time anybody saw Gonzalez.

His son, Jeffrey, said his father wasn't even supposed to volunteer Saturday, but seemed to have his days mixed up.

"It was closed, so they returned him back to the train," he said. "A gentleman, I walked over to him and he said, 'Wait, your father, I saw him on Saturday,' and he saw him at about 10 a.m. on the 7 train heading back to Manhattan."

Patrick Alvarez, of Elmhurst, works at a neighboring business and says he saw Gonzalez as he walked away that morning.

"He looked fine," he said. "He looked a little angryish."

The Gonzalez family hopes posters in the Queens subway along with dozens of senior citizens passing out flyers will help find their family patriarch.

Gonzalez always uses the same train at 74th Street and Broadway. He then walks half a block to the senior center. He's an avid walker and drove a New York City taxi for years.

"He has his meal here, and everyone knows him," the missing man's son, Dennis Gonzalez, said.

The family told CBS2 that Gonzalez goes to the senior center five days a week and was diagnosed six months ago with a low level of dementia. He's also diabetic and takes medication.

"So at this point, he's not taking them, so it doesn't help," Dennis Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is described as approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds with a thin build, brown eyes and gray hair. He was last seen wearing a brown blazer, gray pants and black dress shoes.

Gonzalez has three children and eight grandchildren.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, visit the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.