TAMPA, Fla. — Edna Rainey is being reunited with her family after a man caught a Facebook post about her disappearance, saw her in Ybor City and contacted police, authorities say.
The 74-year-old was found around 3 p.m. Wednesday outside Jimmy's Taco's in Ybor City, according to a news release. Jesse Guerrero, who lives in Brandon, recognized her from seeing the Facebook post less than an hour before seeing her in person.
"I noticed her walking near the parked cars," Guerrero said in a statement "When I saw her face, she looked familiar. She introduced herself as Edna Rainey. She seemed unaware of what was going on."
Seminole and Tampa police responded to a call for service and helped to reunite Rainey with family. She had been missing since Tuesday afternoon from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
"Her family is overjoyed," said William Latchford, Executive Director of Public Safety for the Seminole Tribe of Florida in a statement. "This is a perfect ending to a scary situation, and we want to thank police agencies all over Tampa Bay for the great efforts they made to get the word out through social media and other channels."
The previous story is below.
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The Seminole Police Department of the Seminole Tribe of Florida is searching for a missing 74-year-old woman from Palm Harbor.
Investigators say Edna Rainey, who has dementia and diabetes, walked away from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and hasn't been seen since.
According to authorities, Rainey had been at the casino complex with relatives who lost touch with her and reported her missing to security.
Police and security personnel reviewed surveillance video. And, officers say she was last seen walking west by herself on the south side of Hillsborough Avenue from Orient Road.
Rainey is described as a Black woman, who is 5 feet tall and 90 pounds. She has white hair and was last seen wearing blue sweatpants and a blue/gray jacket and gray sandals with white socks.
Her family told investigators Rainey may only have limited information about who she is.
Tampa Bay area police agencies have been helping with the search following the release of a "Be on the Lookout" notification issued late Tuesday. Officers are canvassing businesses along her possible routes of travel in the hopes that business owners might have extra surveillance video that could help the search.
The Seminole Police Department has contacted local hospitals but been unable to find her.
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