Dear Editor:
We’re not sure how our family could even begin to thank everyone who helped turn what could have been a devastating tragedy into an event with a happy ending. We’re not even sure how many people were involved, but we know it was probably in the hundreds.
On Monday Sept. 28, our brother John, who suffers for Alzheimer’s Disease, walked out of his house in Secaucus. Now, he has done this many times, always coming back home after a short walk. This day was different; he didn’t return. The family contacted the Secaucus Police Department as soon as we realized that he wasn’t returning. The Secaucus Police Department is the first agency we need to thank. They immediately started the task of searching for John. They solicited the aid of the Secaucus Fire Department, the Hudson County Sheriffs Office and the New Jersey State Police. K-9 units, countless officers, and helicopters with heat seeking technology were used to search the wooded areas of town.
Unfortunately at the time there were no positive results from the search. It was now getting dark, cold and rainy and John was still missing. The search continued through the night. By morning a Silver Alert was issued area wide. More resources were being deployed. Then a breakthrough of sorts. That’s when detectives found traffic camera video of John boarding a bus. It was determined that he boarded a Number 2 bus on County Ave which terminates at Journal Square in Jersey City. So now the Jersey City Police Department, and the Port Authority of NY & NJ Police Departments were fully involved in the search.
Again video footage showed John getting off the bus at the Journal Square Path Building. He was observed by numerous cameras in the building, and was eventually videoed being one block away from the building. More police K-9 units were deployed. Bloodhounds were following his scent. It was now about 3 p.m. on Tuesday, about 26 hours after getting on that number 2 bus. Family members and friends from everywhere were following the bloodhounds and were now in the area of the Jersey City Armory when the bloodhounds lost his scent.
Panic. Then over the police radio the words came over loud and clear. “We got him”. So how do we even begin to thank everyone? Who do we even thank? EVERYONE!!! I hope we don’t miss anyone, and please excuse us if we do.
Secaucus Police Dept.
Secaucus Vol. Fire Dept.
Hudson County Sheriffs Office
New Jersey State Police
Jersey City Police Dept.
Port Authority of NY and NJ Police Dept.
Port Authority of NY and NJ Transportation Workers
Monmouth County Police K9 Unit
US Customs and Border Patrol
US Park Police
Jersey City Medical Center EMS
Maria Gallegos-Alvarez
