Patient missing since July 28 recalled as a ‘pleasant man’
By ROBERT FATURECHI Special to the Daily Press
The search for an elderly Santa Monica man gone missing three weeks ago may have come to a grim conclusion Tuesday morning, as gardeners in West Los Angeles discovered a decomposed, unrecognizable body wearing an Alzheimer’s alert bracelet similar to the one last seen on the 73-year-old’s wrist.
T h o u g h police have not yet identified the body — found near a home off Sunset Boulevard and West Cove Drive — the Los Angeles County coroner will likely examine the remains within the next couple days, using fingerprints and dental records to determine if the remains are in fact Roland Baker’s, said Lt. Ed Winter at the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.
“Once the body is examined, the results will be provided to us and we’ll look into it if need be,” said West Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Kirby Carranza.
Baker went missing on July 28, after leaving his Santa Monica retirement home for an early morning stroll.
Though he suffered from a gradually worsening case of Alzheimer’s over the last three years, Baker remained at Holiday Villa East — a hotel-style assisted-living center for seniors who can, for the most part, take care of themselves.
Baker also had gone missing earlier this year, though he was found within a couple hours.
In an interview with the Daily Press two weeks before Tuesday’s gruesome discovery, Baker’s son, John, said he did-n’t blame the retirement home for his father’s disappearance, but planned on moving him to a care center that provides more stringent supervision.
At Holiday Villa East, the reaction was somber.
“Everybody’s obviously upset,” said Sam Rosenberg, an administrator at the retirement home.
Those who knew Baker had nothing but kind words about the former social worker, father of two and grandfather of one.
“He was a very soft-spoken man, always had a smile on his face,” Rosenberg said. “Just a very pleasant person to be around, a very good people-person.”
Santa Monica police, along with Holiday Villa East employees, Baker’s son, and four hired private investigators, had spent the weeks following Baker’s disappearance combing through local hospitals, homeless shelters and food lines.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 18, 2005. Read the original PDF.