Silver Alert issued for Patchogue man, Suffolk cops say

Have you seen Lawrence Werner of Patchogue?

Suffolk County police have issued a Silver Alert for Werner, 68, who is diabetic and schizophrenic, saying he went missing Tuesday.

Werner was last seen at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in the rear yard of his home on River Avenue in Patchogue, police said.

Werner was described as 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes and a long beard, police said; he was last seen wearing a shirt with a baseball logo. He was carrying a brown satchel, police said.

Police asked anyone with information about Werner’s whereabouts to call 911 or Fifth Squad detectives at 631-854-8552.

A Silver Alert is a program that allows law enforcement to share information with the media about individuals with special needs who have been reported missing.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”