Missing Person Alert: Atlanta Police Searching for 79-Year-Old Charles R. Ellis Sr.
Community Urged to Assist in Locating Elderly Man with Dementia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Authorities in Atlanta are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing elderly man, 79-year-old Charles R. Ellis Sr., who was last seen driving along the I-75/85 corridor in southwest Atlanta on Saturday. His sudden disappearance has sparked concern among family members and police, especially given his medical condition and vulnerable status.

According to the Atlanta Police Department, Mr. Ellis was last seen around 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, following his son in a 2013 white Kia Optima bearing a North Carolina license plate with the tag number “VDF3034.” The pair had been traveling southbound on Interstate 75/85 near Highway 166, when, under unknown circumstances, Ellis’ vehicle became separated from his son’s.

Concern intensified when, several hours later at approximately 7 p.m., the vehicle was reportedly last known to be in the vicinity of I-85 northbound near mile marker 150—a location that sits significantly north of the original separation point. How Ellis ended up traveling in that direction remains unclear, and authorities are urgently piecing together sightings or traffic camera footage that may help retrace his movements.

Police have emphasized that Mr. Ellis is considered a high-risk missing person, due to his recent diagnosis of dementia in June 2024, a condition that impairs memory, judgment, and orientation. As such, he may be disoriented, confused, and unable to ask for help or find his way back to familiar surroundings.

Charles Ellis is described as follows:

• Age: 79
• Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
• Weight: Approximately 250 pounds
• Build: Heavyset
• Hair: Bald
• Eyes: Brown
• Clothing: Last seen wearing a light-colored t-shirt and blue jeans

Family members are distraught and pleading with the public to keep an eye out for both Charles and the vehicle he was driving. “We just want him home safe,” said one family member. “He’s a kind man, and this is completely out of character. Please, if you see him, don’t hesitate to call for help.”

The Atlanta Police Department is urging anyone who has seen Mr. Ellis or his vehicle, or who may have any information about his possible whereabouts, to immediately contact 911, or call the Atlanta Police Department’s communications section at 404-658-6666.

Time is critical in situations involving individuals with cognitive impairments like dementia, as they are more susceptible to becoming disoriented and putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations—especially while behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Law enforcement has not indicated whether a Mattie’s Call, Georgia’s emergency alert for disabled or elderly missing persons, has been issued, but efforts to locate Mr. Ellis continue to intensify.

Please share this information widely. Every set of eyes helps, and a tip from a passerby could be the key to bringing Charles Ellis Sr. home safely.