Washington State Patrol has activated a silver alert on behalf of the Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) for an at-risk/missing Island man.

According to the alert, which MIPD posted on Feb. 29, the man’s name is Curtis Engeland, 74, he’s 5-foot-9, 145 pounds, has grey/brown hair and blue eyes.

He was last seen at 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 23 in the 3000 block of 62nd Ave. SE on the Island. It is unknown what clothes he was wearing, and no associated vehicle has been noted in the alert.

If anyone spots the man, call 9-1-1.

MIPD stated in a social media release that Engeland’s roommate filed a report on Feb. 24 noting that Engeland was missing and acting outside of his normal routine.

“Mercer Island officers and investigative staff immediately began working with Engeland’s family and friends to identify his normal routine and behaviors,” the MIPD release reads, adding that the department issued a missing person bulletin and connected with Washington State Patrol to activate the silver alert.

As detectives continue to delve into this ongoing missing person case, they are working with family, friends and other contacts to gain more information. MIPD will share additional updates when more details become available.

Residents have expressed their concerns for the man on the MIPD Facebook page, with some people inquiring about updates and details on the investigation.

On the Washington State Patrol front, Communications Director Chris Loftis said that his agency handles the alerts and the local police department has a grasp on the investigation end of the case.

The police department sends detailed information to the state patrol, which takes the next step of flowing the data into the alert system. They will update the alerts as new information arrives.

“We get requests from the local enforcement. It’s rare that we are going to be the primary investigators on a missing person situation unless that person went missing on a state or federal highway,” said Loftis, who noted that there are four types of missing person alerts: silver (seniors), Amber (children), endangered persons (usually people with cognitive deficiencies and difficulties) and Indigenous persons (anyone missing in the tribal community).

Loftis noted that many silver alerts have vehicles associated with them, and a detailed description along with other pertinent information is then placed on Washington State Department of Transportation highway electronic readerboards.

According to Carri Gordon, state patrol’s Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit director, they issued 123 silver alerts statewide in 2023 and 215 alerts of all types that year.

The Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound Facebook page notes that people can submit anonymous tips on the local case via the P3 Tips App, 1-800-222-TIPS, or www.crimestoppers.com.

This was the latest information available on the case at the Reporter’s press deadline for this issue.

The Reporter contacted one neighbor while inquiring about Engeland on the street where he resides, but didn’t gain any additional information.