Police, community continue to search for missing 79-year-old man
By BRIANNA OWCZARZAK, STEPHEN BOROWY
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DRYDEN TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WNEM) — Officers and the community are still searching for a missing 79-year-old man from Dryden Township.
The Dryden Township Police Department was contacted by Lapeer County 911 at 1:52 p.m. on July 19 about the disappearance of Joseph Mindelli. Police meet with Mindelli’s family. They discovered he wasn’t home at about 7:30 a.m.
Police said Mindelli normally goes on morning walks and is an avid outdoorsman, but as time passed the family became concerned and searched for him. Officers also searched the area when they arrived but found no sign of him.
Family, friends, and neighbors as well as authorities from the Dryden Township Fire Department, Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office, Metamora Township Police Department, and Almont Police Department worked together in the initial search.
Due to weather conditions and the geography around Mindelli’s home, police said more resources were needed in the search. Thermal imaging, aerial drones, ATVs, and K9 resources were used, but no signs of Mindelli were found.
Other teams from Oakland and Macomb county joined in the search. Volunteers from the community and the surrounding area came out by the hundreds to aid in search efforts.
It’s unclear what Mindelli is wearing. Police said he usually wears tan cargo-type pants and knee-high “muck” boots. He also often wears more than one shirt and layering his clothing.
Many agencies are still working to find Mindelli. Anyone who sees him is urged to call the Dryden Township Police Department at 810-796-2271 or the Lapeer County Central Dispatch non-emergency phone number at 810-667-0292.
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