Man Missing From Homesteads Returns Safely

On August 3 about 9:06 am, police received a report from staff at The Homesteads at Newtown, an assisted living complex, that a patient had walked out of the 100-unit building and wandered away.

Police responded to the facility at 166 Mt Pleasant Road (Route 6) and the learned that patient Joseph Letourneau, 74, was missing and had last been seen heading toward Bethel along Mt Pleasant Road, police said in a statement.

Newtown Police Patrol Officer Colin J. Richter checked for Mr Letourneau along Route 6 and into nearby Bethel where he spoke with a Bethel police officer, who told Officer Richter that a woman had just informed him that she had given a ride to an elderly man, dropping him off at the Friendly’s Restaurant at 81 Newtown Road (Route 6) in Danbury.

Officer Richter then drove to the restaurant, but Mr Letourneau could not be found there, police said.

About one hour later, a Homesteads staff member informed police that Mr Letourneau had been found at the Wal-Mart store at 67 Newtown Road in Danbury and was returned to the assisted-living complex by Homesteads staff, police said.

Mr Letourneau was not injured during the incident, police said.