Missing Archives - Inside Lake

Tavares Police Searching for Woman Missing Since Saturday

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

UPDATE: Celia Schwinden has been found safe.

TAVARES, Florida—Tavares Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a woman who was last seen at her home in the area of Dora Avenue Saturday.

Celia Schwinden, 67, is known to frequent Tavares, Eustis and Leesburg on foot and may be carrying bags with her. TPD is utilizing the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Real Time Crime Center, bloodhounds and pinged her cellphone with negative results. TPD has also issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) and reached out to surrounding law enforcement agencies, TPD Chief Sarah Coursey told Inside Lake.

“We have all hands on deck,” Coursey said.

*Celia Schwinden, 67, is seen here entering her home in the Dora Avenue area Saturday. Tavares Police Department is trying to locate her to check on her well-being.*

There has been no activity on Schwinden’s credit or debit cards. She apparently returned to her home Monday and left a note but left her home again. Police did not release what the note said.

“We need to check her well-being,” Coursey said.

TPD officers are canvassing the area and following up on leads, Coursey said, and Schwinden is believed to be wearing the clothing shown in the photos accompanying this article.

If you have information on Schwinden’s whereabouts, call TPD at 352-343-2101 and reference case T23050703.

Body Positively Identified as Eustis Man Missing from Kissimmee Since Thanksgiving

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida—The body found earlier this month has been positively identified as the Eustis man who went missing in Kissimmee on Thanksgiving.

Herman McClenton, 73, went for a walk in Secret Key Cove in Kissimmee, where he and his family were visiting for Thanksgiving, around 4 p.m. Thanksgiving day. McClenton, who suffers from dementia, did not return from his walk, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said in November.

OCSO searched for McClenton for a week, utilizing deputies on foot, bloodhounds and aviation and a bloodhound located his body Dec. 1, Lopez said.

“During the search, a body of an unidentified black male was discovered in a swampy area approximately one mile from the residence where McClenton was last seen,” Lopez said earlier this month.

McClenton was found off State Road 429, along with clothes that matched what he was last seen wearing and the area where he was found is “very swampy” and the water is chest-deep, Lopez.

McClenton was the father of 13 children, and his family has been notified, according to Lopez.

Body Found in Search for Eustis Man Missing from Kissimmee

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida—A body has been found during the search for a 73-year-old Eustis man who went missing in Kissimmee Thanksgiving day, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said Thursday afternoon.

Herman McClenton went for a walk in Secret Key Cove in Kissimmee, where he and his family were visiting for Thanksgiving, around 4 p.m. Thursday. McClenton, who suffers from dementia, Lopez said, did not return from his walk.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has searched for McClenton for the past week, utilizing deputies on foot, bloodhounds and aviation. A bloodhound was used today to locate the body, Lopez said.

Herman McClenton was last seen around 4 p.m. Thanksgiving day in Kissimmee.

“During the search, a body of an unidentified black male was discovered in a swampy area. It’s approximately one mile from the residence where (McClenton) was last seen,” Lopez said.

The body was found off State Road 429 in an area that had not been searched until Thursday, along with clothes that matched what McClenton was last seen wearing. The area where the body was found is “very swampy” Lopez said and the water is chest-deep. He said OCSO is still treating this a missing person case involving a person who got lost, he said.

McClenton is the father of 13 children and OCSO spoke with his family Thursday, Lopez said, and deputies are awaiting a positive identification from the medical examiner’s office.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez announces a body has been found in the search for a missing Eustis man at a press conference Thursday. PHOTO: Osceola County Sheriff’s Office

“We just want him home.” Eustis Man Reported Missing in Kissimmee on Thanksgiving Day

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

KISSIMMEE, Florida—The family of a missing Eustis man stood with Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez Saturday to ask for the public’s help finding him.

Herman McClenton, 73, went for a walk in Secret Key Cove in Kissimmee, where he and his family were visiting for Thanksgiving, around 4 p.m. Thursday. McClenton, who suffers from dementia, Lopez said, did not return from his walk.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) has utilized aviation and bloodhounds in their search, along with a computer-aided system to track grid searches to make sure they are thorough, Lopez said.

*The family of Herman McClenton joined Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez Saturday at a press conference asking for the public’s help locating him.*

“We suspect no foul play at this time,” Lopez said. “We do have some video of him running behind houses, walking behind houses.”

McClenton’s daughter, Beverly Porter, spoke at the press conference and said, McClenton is the father of 13, and “We just want him home.”

“We’ve exhausted a lot of efforts,” Lopez said. “Now we’re asking for help from the media. McClenton was last seen wearing a red hat with a religious quote, a plaid shirt, jeans and black shoes. He is black, 6 feet, 1 inch tall, has black hair, brown eyes and weighs 197 pounds. If you have information on McClenton’s whereabouts, call OCSO at 407-348-2222 or call 9-1-1.

Silver Alert Issued for Minneola Man Diagnosed with Dementia

Inside Scoop, Minneola / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MINNEOLA, Florida—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has issued a silver alert for a man who was recently diagnosed with dementia and has not been seen since early Tuesday night.

Rodger Stambaugh, 69, left his home at 825 Elm Forrest Drive in Minneola around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday and has not been seen or heard from since, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said in an email.

Stambaugh is balding with grey hair, a grey beard and has green eyes; he is 6’1” and should be driving a 2020 black Kia Soul hatchback with temporary tag DGD 5348.

If you have information on Stambaugh’s whereabouts, call LCSO at 352-343-2101.