Update: Missing Ceres man found after going missing Thursday, police say

An at-risk man who went missing in Ceres on Thursday has been located, the Ceres Police Department reported.

Ernie Ochoa, 51, was found safe by his daughter at 8 a.m. Friday in Modesto, said Sgt. Jose Berber. Ochoa was sitting in a van in front of his old address on Cadillac Drive, Berber said.

Police had asked the public for help in finding the Ceres resident described him as suffering from mental health issues.

Ochoa was previously last seen around noon Thursday at his home. In the evening, he was possibly seen in the area of the 400 block of South Seventh Street in Modesto and near the Modesto Transit Center at 9:15 p.m.

This story was originally published December 25, 2020 at 6:10 AM.

Brian Clark

The Modesto Bee

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Editor Brian Clark has worked at The Modesto Bee since 1990. He’s worked in various departments, including sports, news and on the digital side for a decade before being promoted to editor in 2018. He’s a native of Berkeley and a graduate of San Diego State University. Prior to The Bee, Brian worked at the Turlock Journal and Las Vegas Review-Journal.