Family of missing elderly man needs your help

HOUSTON Ray Emmons, 84, lives in an apartment complex for seniors. When his family did not hear from him for several weeks, they got worried and decided to check up on him. He was last seen at his apartment complex on Chimney Rock.

"We couldn't get ahold of him. Unfortunately, he's had some trouble with the phones and we have not been able to get ahold of him for like a week at a time," said Doreen Emmons.

Doreen and her husband John decided to go to Ray's apartment. They quickly noticed something was wrong and called police, who let them break into the apartment. The last day marked off on Ray's calendar was November 15 and all the food in his home was past its expiration date.

"I park next to him out here in the parking lot, and I noticed that his car has been gone," said one neighbor.

Ray uses two canes to walk, but he drives and he had his routine.

"Either going to church or going to the mailbox, he still drove his car. He still was driving," said neighbor Delores Orndorff.

Friends worry something bad may have happened to him.

"With what's been going on in this town, following people home, and this time of the year, I am praying," said neighbor Dorthy Fletcher.

Even though Ray was reported missing last week, he does not meet the requirements for a senior alert. The criteria says a person must be 65 years or older, live in Texas, with impaired health condition, and be reported missing within 72 hours of disappearance.

Ray's family did not know he was missing for several weeks. Doreen says she wishes police would do more to help find Ray.

"People care about all age people. It doesn't matter if they are a child or a senior. If someone is missing, someone is missing, and you never know, somebody may see that person," said Doreen.

For now, his neighbors say they will change the way they do things.

"We've all got our problems and I'm hoping now we will band together and start checking a little closer on one another here," said Fletcher.

Ray Emmons was driving a silver Ford Focus and had a specialty POW license plate: PW-462H.

He is five feet eight inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. He was last seen at 6333 Chimney Rock. If you have any information, please call police at 713-731-5223.

Police do not think foul play is involved, because Ray's credit cards have not been used.