Elderly Alzheimer’s patient still missing, family fears abduction

John Rodda's wife contacted their children on Saturday to report he had not yet returned home from a local pharmacy. He has not been seen since.

Die Wilgers retirement village where John Rodda went missing. Picture for illustration: Olx

An 82-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease has been missing since Saturday, after failing to return to his home in a retirement village in Pretoria.

According to private investigator Mike Bolhuis, John Rodda got in his car to go to a nearby pharmacy on Saturday afternoon, but never made it back to the Wilgers Retirement Village in Pretoria.

John Rodda. Picture: Facebook

Rodda drives a white Nissan Tiida sedan, registration CZ 25 YN GP.

Due to his Alzheimer’s, Rodda is not allowed to drive.

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His wife contacted their children on Saturday to report he had not yet returned home. He has not been seen since.

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Rodda has no identification or medication on him.

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Bolhuis said the family had since been contacted by fraudsters who said they had captured Rodda, and demanded a ransom.

However, the alleged fraudsters’ threats only appeared after a missing persons’ alert was issued for Rodda on social media.

Bolhuis said the family was sick with worry.

Anyone with information on Rodda is urged to contact his family on 082-852-3843 or 082 301 5443, or to call specialist investigator Callie De Kock on 061-419-4416.