Silver Alert Cancelled: Missing Fresno Man Martin Samaniego Found Safe

Martin Samaniego, a 74-year-old Fresno man reported missing on Christmas Day, has been found safe, the Fresno Police Department announced, cancelling a Silver Alert that had blanketed four Central Valley counties.

The California Highway Patrol issued the alert on behalf of the Fresno Police Department after Samaniego was last seen around 4:40 p.m. on Christmas Day in the area of Willow and Church Avenues in Fresno. Samaniego was believed to be on foot at the time of his disappearance. The alert extended across Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties, and initial reports also placed him near Oakhurst on Highway 49, a detail that Fresno PD and CHP have not publicly reconciled.

During the search, authorities asked anyone who spotted Samaniego to call 911 or reach the Fresno Police Department directly at (559) 621-7000.

The Fresno Police Department confirmed Samaniego's safe recovery without providing additional details about where he was located, when he was found, or the circumstances of his recovery. No information about his condition beyond "found safe" was released.