GAS station footage has revealed the last moments a doting grandfather was seen before he vanished from his family’s home.
Reuben Waithaka was last seen walking with a limp and his hands behind his back after disappearing from his wife’s sight on May 15.
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Waithaka and his wife, Elizabeth Barua, had traveled to the United States from Kenya to watch their first grandson graduate from his high school in Calera, Alabama, 30 miles south of Birmingham.
The morning after they arrived to stay at their son’s home, 72-year-old Waithaka stepped out of the house and seemed confused, Elizabeth told CBS affiliate WIAT.
The house’s doorbell camera captured him walking out of the home and onto the driveway at 11:08 am.
Elizabeth followed him at first, but turned around to lock the doors of the house.
When she turned back around, Waithaka had vanished.
About half an hour later, CCTV footage at a Chevron gas station two miles away captured the last time Waithaka was seen.
At around 11:43 am, Waithaka wandered into a gas station with his hands behind his back. He was slightly limping.
He waved at the store attendant and headed toward the bathroom before leaving through the back door, CNN reported.
Seven weeks later, Waithaka still hasn’t been found.
His grandson, Byron, graduated from high school without his doting grandfather in attendance.
Waithaka’s daughter-in-law, Mary Ngigi Waithaka, addressed the family’s concerns in a heartbreaking post about the bittersweet celebration.
“Even as our family navigates the worry and uncertainty of my father-in-law going missing this past week, I know he would want us to celebrate this incredible achievement,” Mary wrote in part on Facebook.
WORRYING SIGNS
The family has considered the possibility that Waithaka had undiagnosed dementia, according to CNN.
His son, Willington Barua, told the outlet that Waithaka seemed confused and was behaving unusually during the long journey to America.
Timeline of disappearance
The search for Reuben Waithaka has lasted seven weeks as his family is desperate for answers. Below is a timeline of his disappearance:
May 13 – Reuben Waithka and his wife, Elizabeth, board a flight from Nairobi, Kenya. They then went through Frankfurt, Germany, to get to Atlanta.
May 14 – Reuben and Elizabeth arrive in Calera, Alabama, after 18 hours of flying from Kenya.
May 15 at 11:08 am – Reuben leaves his son’s home wearing khaki pants and a plaid shirt.
May 15 at 11:43 am – Reuben’s last confirmed sighting on CCTV footage at a gas station two miles away from his son’s home. Police later said he was given a ride to the gas station.
May 21 – Reuben’s grandson graduates from high school without Reuben in attendance.
June 3 – Reuben’s family celebrates his 73rd birthday without him.
June 20 – Elizabeth returns to Kenya.
Source: CNN
During his second flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta, Waithaka became agitated and his wife needed help from a flight attendant to keep him in his seat on the plane, his son told CNN.
He then appeared disoriented in the Atlanta airport and fell on an airport escalator and hurt his knee.
Once they arrived in Calera, the family took Waithaka to the hospital.
A CT scan of his head came back normal, as well as some of his bloodwork, and he was discharged, his son said.
His family said his limp from the fall is noticeable in the gas station security footage.
ON THE MOVE
Waithaka got at least two rides from people before the camera captured him at the gas station, police said.
The first ride was within the neighborhood of Willington’s home, Calera Police Chief David Hyche said. The second was to the gas station.
The family believes he may be trying to return to his village in Kenya, but he doesn’t have his passport or any money.
His phone has not shown activity, meaning it might be dead or in airplane mode, police said.
Waithaka turned 73 on June 3. His family celebrated without him.
On June 20, Elizabeth returned to Kenya to be with loved ones as the search continues.
“We are following up on leads but as we approach the two month mark the leads have slowed down considerably,” Hyche said.
Waithaka’s family has urged anyone who sees him to call the police instead of taking him to another location.
