Police continue to look for missing senior with dementia as search expands to Scarborough

Toronto police continue to search for a senior with dementia who left his home in North York for an afternoon walk on Tuesday and was last seen via surveillance footage in Scarborough sometime Wednesday evening.

Insp. Jeff Bangild told reporters in an update Wednesday night that police relocated their command post to the area of Victoria Park Avenue and Ellesmere Road after hearing 76-year-old Norman Gray, also known as “Bill,” was seen in the area.

“Information is coming in, not only from this area, but as well as the area that he lives in,” Banglid said.

Gray left his residence in the area of Torbarrie Road and Sheppard Avenue West, just east of Highway 400, at approximately 12 p.m. on Tuesday – more than 24 hours ago now.

Police said he is around five-foot-ten with grey curly hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured baseball hat, a red and blue shirt, blue jeans, a black jacket and white shoes.

“We do have a lot of information that requires follow-up, which is why we went through what’s called a Level One search. It allows us to provide more resources, to allow for a greater search area, and to follow-up that information and tips,” Bangild said, adding “a lot” of video evidence has been collected in relation to Gray’s disappearance so far. 

Gray, who has Alzheimer’s, is known to go on walks with his wife of more than 50 years, but on Tuesday, he ventured out alone.

“The day before, he did go for a walk for 15 minutes and arrived home by himself just fine – and he hasn’t wondered off in a very, very long time – so we just assumed that he would be okay,” one of his daughters, Kassandra Gray, said at an earlier news conference. “But this time, not so much.”

“It’s been very traumatizing. We’ve been searching for hours upon hours,” she continued. “It’s been very exhausting, but the goal is to find my father.”

Kassandra described Norman as a nature lover and said he might have become confused while admiring a garden.

“There’s a possibility he might have stopped at a residence to admire their landscaping. He’s a huge gardener,” she said.

In turn, police are asking residents to check their backyards, sheds, patios and other places on their properties where a person may be able to hide.

Shutt told reporters that Gray had gone missing once before, but returned at his own volition. Police

“That has not occurred in this case,” he said. “So we’re very concerned for safety.”

If Gray is seen, police ask to call them at 416-808-3100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

“He’s a very gentle person, by all means approach him. He’s been out for a considerable amount of time, so I have no doubt in my mind that he’s hungry, he’s probably thirsty, it was a very warm day today,” Bangild said.