A 63-year-old Lake Elsinore man who suffers from dementia is still missing, six days after he disappeared.
Wednesday the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reached out again to the public and media, asking that all be on the lookout for Craig Staneart who went missing Feb. 7.
Tips have poured into the sheriff's department about Staneart sightings, but so far the leads have not panned out.
There was a credible sighting in the Horse Thief Canyon area of Lake Elsinore, but a search there turned up nothing, Deputy Albert Martinez reported Wednesday.
"At this time we are searching Lake Elsinore and the surrounding areas," Martinez continued.
Staneart is prone to confusion due to his medical condition.
"He had $100 cash, an ATM card and a VA health care card ID with him. He also had a cell phone on him, however it has been turned off since Friday," Martinez said.
The missing man is described as white, with brown hair and blue eyes, 6’3”tall weighing about 220 pounds, but his wife of 42 years said he is likely much thinner today.
“His cheeks would be sunken in and he would have a beard now,” Ann Staneart said, explaining that her husband was on various medications, one designed to keep his appetite up, and she shaved his face daily because his facial hair grew fast and thick.
Today, Martinez posted Staneart's weight as possibly around 185 pounds.
The last time his family saw him, Staneart was wearing blue jeans, a denim jacket and a red shirt. He disappeared from his home on Maes Avenue in Lake Elsinore around 5:30 p.m. Feb. 7. Law enforcement was contacted early the next morning by the family after they searched for him through the night.
Staneart, who moved with his family to Lake Elsinore from Orange County in 1979, was a general contractor much of his career. He is described by his family as being friendly and in good physical health.
His four children are grown but have returned to their childhood home to help with search efforts. Tuesday they provided insight about their dad -- clues that might help locate him.
He prefers sweets, like chocolate milk, orange soda and candy bars, they said. He also wore a medicated patch on his back to keep his mood elevated.
He is a chatty man, but he becomes anxious in crowds and will likely avoid them, his daughter Sarah Nesvold added.
“He will talk your ear off,” she said.
Dara Carrescia is also the Stanearts’ daughter. She described her dad as a fit man who is able to weather harsh conditions.
“He’s a survivalist,” she said.
Sgt. R. Duckett of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department told Patch this week that efforts to find Staneart are ongoing 24/7. Dogs, helicopters, patrol officers and search and rescue teams have been deployed, and a command center set up at Dryden Street and Lakeshore Drive. Duckett asked that the public watch for the missing man in public spaces, such as shopping centers and local stores.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Lake Elsinore Police Department at (951) 245-3300 or (951) 776-1099 after regular business hours.
