The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said a missing man is home and not much information is known about the time he was gone. Spokeswoman Janois Grizzaffi said no crime was committed and so the case has been closed.
The sheriff’s office issued a missing person bulletin Tuesday afternoon for 44-year-old Ricky D. Smith. He was last seen Saturday night walking along the roadway at FM 1136 and Interstate 10. He had been riding with a friend and asked the friend to stop the vehicle so he could get out.
Grizzaffi said Smith and friends had been at the Sawdust Saloon in Beaumont New Year’s Eve, which was Saturday night.
She said that last night, a relative of Smith called the sheriff’s office about 10:30 and said he was home. A patrol deputy went to the house to assure Smith was okay.
Search teams, including some on horseback, had searched the highway area Tuesday and Wednesday looking for Smith.
Grizzaffi said Smith and his family offered no explanation for him being gone except to say he had been lost.
Because no criminal offense was committed, detectives will not investigate the incident, she said.
Smith’s sister posted on her Facebook page he was “tired, weak, dirty and hungry, but overall great.”
Social Media