Missing man's granddaughter: 'We just have to have hope'

Cynthia Soto is using prayer and the support of the community to stay positive that her missing grandfather will be found soon. She admits that it's difficult, however.

"I'm trying to keep a positive mindset, but it's cold at night and he's out there," Soto said about 81-year-old Manuel Soto Gonzales, who has been missing from his Canyon Hills home since Thursday morning. "We're looking in parks, in ditches ... we just have to have hope. We're grateful for the many people in the community who have reached out to us."

Many residents have conducted searches for Soto Gonzales, who suffers from dementia. A flier with a description of him has been circulating for days, and a CHP Silver Alert was issued on Monday. Cynthia Soto said it has been a challenge getting assistance from the Sheriff's Department and media attention regarding this incident.

"We've had a lot of help from the community because the police haven't contacted us recently," Soto said. "They told us, 'We did our job. We will keep a lookout.' We did call TV stations for more exposure, but we need to find the right contact. If you just call or email the station, they say they will evaluate the situation and get back to you."

KNBC Channel 4 news did contact the family on Monday and aired an interview on its 4 p.m. news. Soto hopes this kind of attention will help increase the chances of her grandfather being found.

Soto lives with her parents and grandparents in a home on Yarrow Court in the Canyon Hills community of Lake Elsinore, just west of the Menifee border and Herk Bouris Elementary School. According to Soto, she had already left for work on Thursday and her grandfather was in the house with his wife, who was sleeping, and Soto's aunt, who was upstairs. Soto Gonzales was discovered missing about 8:30 a.m.

A neighbor's Ring camera shows Soto Gonzales leaving his home about 8:30 a.m. A neighbor reported seeing him walking in the neighborhood about 8:45.

"He said he was going for a walk," Soto said. "He's not aware of location and time. He won't ask for help because he doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

"He's always outside. He knows not to leave, but he's confused."

Soto said the most recent report of a sighting of her grandfather came on Monday, when he was allegedly seen walking on Main Street in Lake Elsinore.

"He thinks he lives in Tustin," Soto said about her grandfather, who lived in that city for 15 years before moving to Lake Elsinore about a year ago. "We think that's why he may have been seen on Newport Road in Menifee and Main Street in Lake Elsinore. Newport and Main were two of the streets he used to walk in Tustin. He would take the bus to church on Main Street."

The Silver Alert flier asks anyone who has seen Soto Gonzales to call 911. Cynthia Soto asks people to call her instead at 714-561-6793.

"Saturday night, someone called 911 and they got dispatch," Soto said. "They were told someone would contact them to take a report. I don't know if you call 911 if you will just get dispatch like that. If you see him, maybe hold him and call me."