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Elderly Woman Found Safe After Missing Welfare Check While Gaming

Human interestHuman interest
Key Points
  • A 91-year-old woman in Westlake, Ohio, was found safe after missing a welfare check call while playing video games.
  • She is part of the city's 'Are You Okay?' program, which provides daily check-in calls for vulnerable residents.
  • Police entered her home after she didn't answer the door and found her playing a 'bubble pop' game in her bedroom.

' program, which allows vulnerable residents to opt for daily calls to check in on them. She did not answer her daily call on April 9, causing concern among authorities. According to The Independent - Main, Jerry Vogel, a Westlake Police captain, described that everyone was a little bit alarmed that she was missing these contacts.

Police responded to her home and used a code to enter her garage after she did not answer the door. Body camera video showed the woman's car inside the garage, indicating she was likely present. Officers then found the woman in her bedroom playing video games, specifically a 'bubble pop' video game.

Everyone's a little bit alarmed that she's missing these contacts.

Jerry Vogel, Westlake Police Captain

According to The Independent - Main, an unnamed officer described that they were with her now and she was playing video games in her bedroom. The woman missed her welfare calls because she was trying to beat her record in the video game, police said. The specific 'bubble pop' video game she was playing has not been identified, and it is unknown what her previous record was or how long she had been playing when police arrived.

Whether she was aware of the welfare check attempts while gaming also remains unclear, and any consequences or follow-up actions from the incident have not been disclosed. ' program, which previously led police in January to an elderly woman who had fallen inside her living room and couldn't get back up, according to authorities. The woman who fell in January was not injured, police confirmed.

We're with her now. She's playing video games in her bedroom.

Unnamed officer, Police officer

According to The Independent - Main, Jerry Vogel described that everyone got a good laugh out of the recent video game incident, and he noted it's a great reminder that Westlake residents have that service for them and they can sign up any time they want.

Everyone got a good laugh out of it.

Jerry Vogel, Westlake Police Captain

It's a great reminder that Westlake residents have that service for them and they can sign up any time they want.

Jerry Vogel, Westlake Police Captain
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Elderly Woman Found Safe After Missing Welfare Check While Gaming | Reed News