SAFE Alert canceled after missing 83-year-old Phoenix man located

PHOENIX — A SAFE Alert issued Thursday for a missing 83-year-old man has been canceled after he was located, authorities said.

The Phoenix Police Department said Friday that John Cottrell Watts was found safe and reunited with his family.

The alert was issued after Watts went missing near 27th Avenue and Ocotillo Road around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

He was wearing black pants, black shoes and a black, white and brown striped, hooded sweatshirt, DPS said.

Watts is 5 feet, 11 inches tall. He weighs 190 pounds and has brown eyes and gray hair.

SAFE Alerts have replaced Silver Alerts in Arizona as a way to spread the word about missing persons who are 65 and older and missing persons who have dementia or developmental/cognitive disabilities. 

This is an updated version of a story originially published Jan. 15, 2026. 

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