Athens woman with dementia safely returns home

By Joe Johnson

An elderly Athens woman with dementia who was report missing Saturday morning safely returned to her home on South Ridge Drive several hours later.

Athens-Clarke County police had publicly issued a plea for help in locating 89-year-old Alberta Ward Smith and released a photograph of her.

The woman was reported missing after she was last seen walking away from her home at about 9:30 a.m., and police cancelled a lookout for her after she returned home at about 1 p.m.

"She solicited rides from different people to go to different locations in Athens," police Capt. Christopher Nichols said. "We are pleased that she returned home safely."