Missing Woman With Alzheimer’s Found By Howell Business Owner

HOWELL, NJ – A Toms River woman who went missing over the weekend was found on Monday by a Howell business owner, according to authorities.

Marilyn Balzer, who reportedly suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease, left her Lake Ridge home around 6 a.m. on Aug. 15 and had not returned later that day. An initial search led by the Toms River Police Department yielded negative results for the 80-year-old.

Balzer was only spotted two days later on Aug. 17, approximately one mile into Howell by Robert Vaccaro, owner of R&J Automotive on Route 9.

Vaccaro was opening his store at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Monday when he noticed a woman – covered from the knees down in mud – standing outside his shop. She walked into the auto repair shop on several occasions, each time asking for a man named Ed Balzer.

“I didn’t even know she was missing,” Vaccaro told Patch. “I opened the bay doors and she came in looking for Ed, asking if I knew Ed.”

It was only until after the woman asked Vaccaro to use the restroom that the store owner contemplated calling the police.

“I knew she was confused, I felt bad. But I feel good now,” said Vaccaro. “It just gave me the impression that it was somebody’s mother. It could be somebody’s grandmother … I was just in the right spot at the right time.”

Vaccaro ultimately decided to call Howell authorities, who then notified the Toms River Police Department. Balzer was transported to Monmouth Medical South for evaluation and treatment.

Police from Jackson, Manchester, and Lakewood were alerted over the weekend, alongside Union City, Old Bridge and NJ Transit Police. Officers from the Toms River Police Department, Toms River Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit, Drone Unit, Quad Unit, Central Jersey K-9 Search & Rescue, NJ Search and Rescue, Community Search and Rescue (COMMSAR), Pleasant Plains Fire Department, Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch, as well as the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit all responded to the investigation.

“We’d like to thank all of the agencies involved who worked tirelessly throughout the weekend to bring Mrs. Balzer home safe,” wrote the Toms River Police Department in a statement. “We also want to thank the local businesses who provided video to assist us in our investigation. Thank you to the public who offered assistance, shared our social media posts, and kept their eyes peeled for Mrs. Balzer, it was because of her photo circulating that she was identified.”

Read more: Toms River Woman Home Safe Thanks To Alert Business Owner, Photo

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