CHICAGO (CBS) — A family is desperately searching for their 80-year-old grandmother, who suffers from dementia and was last seen near Midway International Airport over the weekend.
The family went door to door Tuesday night in search of answers. Their matriarch, 85-year-old Francisca Renteria, relies on her loved ones for her daily needs—and has not been seen since Sunday afternoon.
“We hope she is safe and sound now,” said granddaughter Karina Juarez.
Renteria’s granddaughters have a personal mission: they stop strangers on the street, knock on doors and ring doorbells.
“We are all very scared and we hope she is okay,” Juarez said.
Juarez wiped away her tears, her grandmother was nowhere to be seen and her worries grew.
“She only came from Mexico two, three months ago, so we were all happy to have her here,” Juarez said, “and it’s hard now that she’s missing somewhere.”
Home surveillance shows Renteria leaving the home at 57th Street and Narragansett Avenue in the Garfield Ridge community on Sunday, which was the last time she was seen. A loved one was taking a nap at the time.
“She managed to open the door and walk out,” Juarez said.
A few days later, the 5-foot-11, 130-pound grandmother, who spoke only Spanish, was still missing.
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“We had a whole search party out yesterday looking for her,” Juarez said. “We have a detective who went door to door.”
Although it is difficult to see from the surveillance footage, Renteria left the house on Sunday wearing flashy clothing.
“She had on a black T-shirt that said ‘Not today’ in white letters. She had on gray pants and blue shoes,” Juarez said.
Renteria’s white, curly hair is the key.
“Her hunger, hiding somewhere—because she’s scared, doesn’t know what to do,” Juarez said. “Just in general for all of us—that if we see someone, we should at least try to help.”
There have been reports of sightings of the grandmother at bus stops near Midway International Airport. The family quickly checked, but all the bus stops were empty.
The family is asking anyone who may have seen Renteria to call 911. Chicago police have a detective working the missing persons case.
Jermont Terry
