Authorities have released new surveillance images showing a person of interest in the disappearance of an 84-year-old Tucson woman may have been armed at the time of the incident. The photos, made public this week, depict an individual with what appears to be a firearm in their waistband outside the victim’s residence.
The images show the suspect tampering with a doorbell camera at the home before the elderly woman was reported missing in the early hours of January 31. The individual is also seen wearing a backpack and gloves.
In a statement, a local sheriff confirmed the release of the “previously inaccessible” images, noting they show an armed person interfering with the home’s security system on the morning of the disappearance. The case is being investigated as a criminal abduction.
Investigators are also examining a vehicle spotted at a convenience store in the area. The family of the missing woman has publicly pleaded for her safe return, expressing belief that she is still alive and offering to meet demands for a ransom payment in cryptocurrency, which had a deadline earlier this week. That deadline has passed without resolution.
The victim was described as having no known cognitive issues prior to her disappearance. Law enforcement has stated that evidence found at the scene, including what is reported to be blood outside the home, led them to treat the location as a crime scene.
A federal investigative agency has deployed additional personnel to Tucson and is operating a 24-hour command post. Officials continue to ask the public for any information that could assist in the case, which has now entered its second week.
The family has made repeated emotional appeals via social media, urging anyone with information to come forward. “She was taken and we don’t know where. We need your help,” a family member stated in a recent message, asking the public to report anything unusual to authorities.