A Secaucus man who suffers from Alzheimer’s and who disappeared from a construction site in June is still missing.
Manuel “Manny” Chaves has been missing since June 30 when he was working at a construction site at 3504 Palisade Ave. in Union City. At around noon that day, Chaves told his business partner Jose Rivas that was leaving the site for lunch. He never returned to Palisade Avenue and no one has heard from him since, police said.
Chaves, who lives near Sixth Street in Secaucus and holds a valid electrician’s license, is described by Union City detectives as 5 feet 8 inches tall and about 230 lbs. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a black baseball cap with the letters “USA” stenciled on the front. Chaves has grey hair that is thinning on the top of his head and he has bushy eyebrows that are also graying.
“There has been no activity with his bank account or ATM card.” – Union City Detective David Rhodes
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“There has been no activity with his bank account or ATM card,” said Union City Detective David Rhodes, the lead investigator on the case.
No leads on whereabouts
“He has no family in the United States,” Rhodes said. “His family is in Argentina, although he does have an ex-wife in the United States.”
His former wife currently lives in Cliffside Park but she hasn’t heard from Chaves in three years, Rhodes added. Chaves and his wife divorced seven years ago.
Investigators have no leads in the case, despite frequent calls to area hospitals, the medical examiner’s office, and inquiries at places Chaves frequented.
“At this point in time, we have no leads to follow up,” Rhodes said. “The fact that he’s not in any hospital or in the morgue is a good thing and leaves some window for hope that he’s still out there somewhere.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 60 percent of people with the disease will wander at some point in their lives. Alzheimer’s patients can be at risk of serious injury or even death if not found within 24 hours.
Some senior health organizations recommend that families enroll Alzheimer’s patients in fee-based medical alert networks that can quickly notify authorities if their loved one wanders off.
Hudson County runs such a program.
Rhodes said that at least one national Alzheimer’s organization has been notified of Chaves’ disappearance.
Anyone with information regarding Chaves is asked to call the Union City Detective Bureau at (201) 348-5790. People can refer to Chaves by name or refer to case No. 090-56116.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.