Man’s frantic search rolls on
By EMILIE PHELPS Special to the Daily Press
SUNSET PARK — Each day, Rejelio Munoz resumes the search for his wife following her disappearance more than a month ago from the 31st Street home they share.
He scours the area, looking for her in places they frequented together over the past 35 years, posting flyers in the hopes that someone will recognize her and contact him.
Margaret Rose Roberts, 62, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia four years ago and has been on medication since. Roberts left without her medication, without which she is said to become paranoid and act abnormally.
During his search, Muñoz learned that Roberts went to her psychiatrist’s office two days after she disappeared, looking for financial assistance. The staff at Dr. Liliane Lebus’ office was unaware she was considered missing at the time, so they instructed her to come back when she had an appointment.
In light of her office’s oversight, according to Munoz, Dr. Lebus has recently volunteered that her superiors will search the databases of all local health institutions and shelters in efforts to find Roberts.
The staff confirmed for Munoz that Roberts was wearing the same clothes that are pictured on the flyers. Munoz is now in contact with Roberts’ doctors and the medical community, particularly mental institutions where she might end up.
Munoz worries more about Robert’s safety as time goes by, because that means more time that his wife is at risk to predators on the streets who will take advantage of her condition. Munoz contacted the Santa Monica police immediately.
Santa Monica Police Lt. Frank Fabrega said Roberts’ information has been shared with law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
However, according to Munoz, local police have not been responsive as his search continues. The missing persons page on the Santa Monica Police Department’s web site has not been updated since May 7, he said, and so Roberts’ photo is not yet posted. Munoz reports that he has tried repeatedly and consistently to get an update on the investigation from the police department, but they have not yet returned his calls.
Retired Det. Donald Doss, who volunteers at the SMPD, confirmed that very recently Roberts’ case has been passed to him, and now that they have contacted all local ERs, treatment centers, shelters, etc., he will continue to pursue the investigation.
The long search for his wife began when Muñoz awoke on the morning of Sunday, May 21, and Roberts had disappeared from their home at 2427 31st St. When she didn’t return home after three hours, Muñoz called the police and filed a missing person’s report. Since that time, he has been scouring the region in hopes of finding her.
Munoz believes that his wife’s lung medication was interrupting the effectiveness of her psychiatric medication. Roberts was being treated for a chronic lung illness at the Venice Family Clinic. He added that he noticed Roberts began acting strangely about a week prior to her disappearance and planned to address it when Roberts had her next scheduled appointment with Dr. Lebus.
Munoz and Roberts have no children or family nearby, but his neighbors are pitching in to help. His brother-in-law lives across the street and has connections to friends who work with the homeless and distribute his flyers. Recently, his brother arrived from Arkansas to lend emotional support and aid in the search.
Amid his search, Munoz has looked under freeway overpasses, through alleys and in and around other havens for the homeless, whom he considers friendly and intelligent, just down on their luck. He has combed Hollywood several times, a place she recently talked about wanting to visit, and he scours Venice because Roberts used to live there. Munoz determines the perimeter of his search by places she’s familiar with — Culver City, Westwood, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, downtown and the Marina.
Anytime someone calls Munoz to report a possible sighting of his wife, Munoz drops everything goes looking. While most of the calls are a dead-end, he always looks. Munoz, who is retired, searches every day, varying his search hours.
Muñoz has distributed nearly 300 missing-person flyers depicting Roberts throughout Los Angeles County. He has posted them at her favorite places, like Norm’s Restaurant and Carrow’s Restaurant, as well as homeless shelters in downtown LA, motels, hotels, parks and liquor stores.
Margaret Rose Roberts is 62 years old, has light brown hair and blue eyes. She is five feet, one inch tall and weighs 102 pounds. She has a red birthmark on the back of her neck and a small mole on her nose.
Anyone with any information is asked to call Muñoz at (310) 922-2633.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 23, 2006. Read the original PDF.