WATCH: Jenny Franchi’s family is relieved for the happy ending to the tale of their missing relative. Sean Mallen reports.
TORONTO – A Vaughan family is breathing a sigh of relief after their missing elderly relative was found safe Friday morning.
The 76-year-old woman, who suffers from dementia, was reported missing Thursday night at around 6 p.m. near the Keele Street and McNaughton Road area. Authorities were concerned for her safety given the freezing temperature outdoors.
Following an all-night search by police, friends and family members, it was a local area resident who managed to locate Jenny Franchi inside his unlocked car parked in his driveway Friday morning.
“When I opened my driver’s side door, then I noticed someone sitting on my passenger side seat,” said homeowner Jaspal Guhra. “Then I noticed it was an old lady, she was shivering. It clicked in my mind she was in trouble.”
“She’s just going to be checked out in hospital,” said Joanne Dirocco, Franchi’s niece. “She’s cold, but she’s okay.”
Police say Franchi wandered off before a caregiver realized she was gone, but was found in good health and taken to hospital as a precaution.
“She was in the exact area we were searching, we were bang on in our search area. I guess she found an unlocked car and just took refuge,” said York Regional Police Sgt. Nate Matthew.
“Everybody was out last night, over a hundred people,” said Franchi’s granddaughter Elise Odoardi. “We’re probably more in shock than anything.”
Guhra said he offered tea and coffee to the elderly woman but she was unable to speak.
“I was in a situation where she was sitting in my car and I noticed that she was really in bad condition and sitting here for a long time,” he said.
“She was shivering so badly. It was my duty to help a needy person.”
Friends and family members say they are just thankful Franchi came out of the ordeal without any injuries.
“There’s a reason his car was unlocked. I really believe that. Thank God,” said DiRocco.
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