SAFE Alert for nonverbal Phoenix 23-year-old man canceled after he was located

The SAFE Alert for a nonverbal 23-year-old man who went missing in Phoenix last week was canceled Tuesday after he was located.

Payden Deontae Simmons was in good health when he was spotted by employees at a Glendale Walmart. They called the Phoenix Police Department, who returned him home.

When the SAFE Alert was issued on Friday, Simmons had last been seen the previous day in the area of 75th Avenue and Camelback Road.

Simmons is described as 6 feet tall and 145 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Authorities said he was last seen wearing a tan jacket, a gray shirt with an unknown graphic design, gray cut-off Hollister shorts and white Reebok slides.

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 originally published July 31, 2026.

Related

SAFE Alert issued for man last seen at grocery store in PhoenixGov. Katie Hobbs would consider sharing data with federal government to fight healthcare fraudArizona police operation leads to 5 men being arrested for luring minor for sexual exploitationAndy Biggs, Katie Hobbs to field questions, but not from each other, at public safety policy forumHigh winds, dust could blow through Phoenix area for 2nd consecutive nightMan suspected of setting wildfire in Washington has criminal record in Arizona