SAFE Alert canceled after missing 79-year-old Phoenix man found safe

PHOENIX — Authorities canceled a SAFE Alert for a missing 79-year-old Phoenix man on Monday after he was found safe.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety alerted the public about the disappearance of Ralph Ruiz on Saturday. He had last been seen in Phoenix near Osborn Road and 89th Avenue around 11 a.m.

However, he was in good health when he was found, DPS said in its Monday update.

Ruiz is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 177 pounds with gray hair and hazel eyes. When he went missing, he was wearing a checkered jacket, pajama pants and brown shoes.

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 initially published on Jan. 31, 2026.

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