Applebee’s staff feeds and comforts elderly woman reported missing

BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA) - After being reported missing for several hours, Maria Montalvo was found at an Applebee’s in Bossier City located on Airline Drive.

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When Montalvo walked into the restaurant at about 7:30 p.m., she spoke little English and asked for water and tacos, so the staff took care of her.

They gave her a meal and made her comfortable. At the time, they had no idea she was missing. They allowed her to stay as long as she wanted to stay warm until police found her around 10:30 p.m.

In a comment from Montalvo’s granddaughter, she thanked the staff for looking out for her grandma.

An elderly Bossier City woman who went missing has been located and is safe. Her granddaughter... — An elderly Bossier City woman who went missing has been located and is safe. Her granddaughter thanks the Applebee's staff that helped her.(KSLA)

When police arrived, that was the first time the workers realized they were helping someone who’d been reported missing.

The Applebee’s manager, Courtenay Lane, told KSLA that the search party showed up in a nick of time. They arrived just as the she was walking to the back to make a phone call to Bossier police.

“We let her sit, and all night it was just a group effort of making sure she was comfortable. I think at one point we started to bother her, but we just let her relax, and at a certain point, I told myself I was going to call someone to figure out what was going on,” said Lane.

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