by Anita Baffoni, WPRO News
Less than one mile from the Connecticut border, roughly 100 police, volunteers and several search dogs comb through the Arcadia Management Area in search for a 59-year-old Coventry woman, Patti Pendleton. No foul play or suicide is suspected.
Pendleton is believed to have gone for a hike with her two dogs— described as a black toy poodle
and a black fox terrier that were wearing orange vests— sometime on Monday and when she didn’t show up for work the following day, her family contacted police.
“She was last seen on Sunday and spoken to on Monday,” Coventry Police Chief John MacDonald told reporters Wednesday. “She frequents this area as a hiker. She’s been hiking for five months and DEM located her vehicle here.”
Pendleton’s health issues may possibly be a factor in this incident, according to police.
“There is some health concerns with her, ” says lead detective on the case, Coventry Lieutenant Matthew Blair.
“One of the reasons she was out in the woods was due to some health issues, trying to rehabilitate and prepare for some different issues that she’s been encountering. We believe that is one of the reasons she was in the woods.”
The area she is believed to have gone is off Route 165 in Exeter near the Arcadia Check Point. Rhode Island Environmental Police Chief Dean Hoxsie says Arcadia is made up of 16,000 acres and crews are searching a one mile radius at a time.
“The area of the trails that we covered searching so far vary from a flat road-style trail to a very rough, hilly, rocky root- born terrain,” Hoxsie said.
Police are optimistic she will be found alive and plan to continue the search through the day and into Thursday. A National Guard helicopter will help search for Pendleton by flying over the heavily wooded area she is believed to have traveled.
Hunters and hikers are encouraged to avoid the Arcadia area while the search is underway.
Pendleton is described as 5′ 2″, weighing approximately 230 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a purple sweater over a flowered shirt, blue jeans, and hiking boots. She may be wearing an orange vest and an orange hat.
Anyone with information that could help locate this person is asked to contact Coventry Police at (401) 826-1100.
