Four vulnerable adults and their caretakers were reported missing Tuesday after state officials refused to let the caretakers relinquish care of the adults, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Sisters Nicole Emanuel, 46, and Jessica Newkirk, 33, are contracted by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services to care for four adults with varying physical and mental health issues.
They went to the DSHS office in Tacoma about 2:50 p.m. Monday.
“At that time, one of the caretakers reportedly expressed concerns for her safety and the safety of the clients in her adult family home, and was looking for a place to take her clients,” Sheriff Ed Troyer said.
State officials allegedly declined to help and told the sisters they had to uphold their contract.
The group was last seen leaving the DSHS office in a rented minivan. Detectives said it may have been a blue or silver Chrysler minivan.
They have not returned to the group home in Spanaway and families of the four vulnerable adults have not heard from them for at least five days.
DSHS officials tried to reach Emanuel and Newkirk Tuesday and when they were unable to make contact, called the Sheriff’s Department to request a welfare check.
Deputies found nobody at the home, no sign of the minivan and no recent cell phone usage from the clients.
The missing adults are Paula Daneri, 44; Vaiula Vaiula Jr., 59; Anthony Houck, 63; and Tooraj Aflatooni, 59.
Two of them are believed to be non-verbal and would not be able to communicate if they needed help, officials said.
“We believe that the caretakers may have transported the group to an unknown location in a blue minivan and/or a silver minivan,” according to the Sheriff’s Department. “They may be at a care facility, medical facility, hotel, group home or out of the area.”
Detectives were working on sending out an Amber alert late Tuesday.
“We’re very concerned,” Troyer said. “Our main priority is finding them and making sure they’re safe.”
Emanuel is Black, 5-feet-1 and 215 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Newkirk is Black, 4-feet-9 and 120 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Daneri is white, 5-feet-3 and 96 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes. Vaiula is Pacific Islander, 5-feet-8 and 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Houck is white, 6-foot and 220 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Aflatooni is 5-feet-8 and 219 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes.
Details on the group home were not available Tuesday night and nobody from DSHS could be immediately reached.
Anyone with information on the group is asked to call 911.
