On Saturday August 15, 2020 at approximately 9:25 AM police were called to a residence in the Lake Ridge development for a report of a missing person. Marilyn Balzer, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, had left her home sometime around 6:00 AM and had not returned. Initial search of the area yielded negative results. Jackson Township, Manchester Township, Lakewood Township, Union City, Old Bridge and NJ Transit Police were all notified of Mrs. Balzer’s disappearance. Officers from the Toms River Police Department, Toms River Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit, Drone Unit, Quad Unit, Central Jersey K-9 Search & Rescue, NJ Community Search and Rescue, Pleasant Plains Fire Department, Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch, as well as the the New Jersey State Police Missing Person’s Unit responded to the area to assist in the investigation. Emergency personnel continued their search throughout the weekend.

Monday morning, August 17, 2020, Toms River Police Department received a call from Howell Police Department stating they believed they had found Mrs. Balzer and were transporting her to Monmouth Medical South for an evaluation and treatment. Mrs. Balzer was spotted about a mile into Howell by Robert Vaccaro, owner of R&J Automotive, on Route 9 near their building, Mr. Vaccaro notified the local police.

We’d like to thank all of the agencies involved who worked tirelessly throughout the weekend to bring Mrs. Balzer home safe. We also want to thank the local businesses who provided video to assist us in our investigation. Thank you to the public who offered assistance, shared our social media posts, and kept their eyes peeled for Mrs. Balzer, it was because of her photo circulating that she was identified.

If you have a loved one who suffers from Dementia or Alzheimer’s, please contact the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department and inquire about the Project Lifesaver program.