Bernalillo County deputies seek missing 70-year-old woman in Silver Alert

Bernalillo County deputies are asking residents to watch for Darelene Fling, who was last seen June 12 near Second St SE and Prosperity Ave SE and is considered at risk because she is believed to be cognitively impaired. Anyone who spots her should call the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office at 505-798-7000 or dial 911 immediately.

The statewide Silver Alert identified Fling as 79 and said her health and safety were at risk. The public notice described her as 4 feet 9 inches tall, about 90 pounds, with blue eyes and gray hair. Her clothing was unknown when she disappeared.

New Mexico's alert system uses Silver Alerts for adults 50 or older when there is a clear indication of an irreversible brain disorder such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. The state Department of Public Safety says its Missing Persons Clearinghouse posts missing-person cases to the public website, releases alerts to the media, and keeps contact with law-enforcement agencies across New Mexico.

State officials also say a person can be reported missing at any time when their whereabouts are unknown and they are believed to be in danger, regardless of age. That makes the first hours after a disappearance especially important for deputies, family members and neighbors trying to narrow the search area around the South Valley and nearby Albuquerque streets.

The alert has now put Fling's description into the hands of the public: a slender woman with blue eyes, gray hair, and a last known location in the area of Second St SE and Prosperity Ave SE. Deputies are relying on anyone driving, walking or working in that part of Bernalillo County to report a possible sighting quickly, since even a small detail could help narrow where she went after June 12.