SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – A second sighting of missing Scripps Ranch man who suffers from Alzheimer's was reported Wednesday - giving new hope in the search as the efforts to find him intensify.
The search for 85-year-old Taiheng Sun heated up after new surveillance video showed him walking near an entrance to Mission Trails Park.
Sun was last seen at his Scripps Ranch home last Thursday morning.
The surveillance video shows Sun just 50 feet from West Sycamore Park, off Stonebridge Parkway at 8 a.m.
"Mr. Sun is someone that we have seen every single morning for the past six years. He walks around the park every single morning," said Gina Manos, who is volunteering in the search.
According to police, Sun was at home on Maple Grove Lane near Sycamore Trail Road when his family left for the day, but he was gone by the time they returned around 5:30 p.m.
Sun's relatives told police he had been depressed recently, for which he takes medication, and had expressed suicidal thoughts.
He is known to take short walks around the neighborhood, but has never gone missing before, and does not drive or have access to other transportation, police said. He also doesn't know anyone in the area besides his family.
"He walked six miles in each direction on his walks. He has the ability to walk. The question is: did he find shelter? Water? We don't know," said Bob Ilkos, CEO of Scripps Ranch Association.
While neighbors have been fanning out missing person flyers, the Scripps Ranch Civic Association's president has been the lead neighborhood search and rescue volunteer.
Sun is Asian, 5-feet-6 and 140 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes. He speaks very little English.
According to search volunteers, with Mr. Sun on surveillance camera, less than mile from his home, they have a better idea on where to search and hope to find him safely.
The Scripps Ranch Civic Association says it will keep volunteers out of the dangerous brush, but are coordinating search areas for drone operators.
Volunteers can sign up to help in the search for Sun via a Facebook page.
Anyone with information on Sun's whereabouts was asked to call police at (619) 531-2000.
The search for Sun was suspended for the night Tuesday, but continues Wednesday.
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