Cranston woman who was reported missing is found; police charge caregiver with abuse

Yahoo

23-03-2025

CRANSTON — A 45-year-old nonverbal woman with autism who was reported missing on Wednesday was found alive at about noon on Sunday in the back of an SUV that had been parked for several weeks on the street less than a mile from her apartment.
Linda DaLomba, who has an apartment at 3436 North Clarendon St., was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for evaluation.
"We're just ecstatic — ecstatic that she was found alive," Police Chief Col. Michael J. Winquist said during a press conference at police headquarters two hours after she was found. "She appears to be in pretty good health at this point."
A man living on Pond Street, whose Honda Pilot was parked on the street for several weeks until he could take it for repairs, went out to tend to the SUV at about noon. "When he went inside the vehicle to jump-start it," Winquist said, "he was startled to find Ms. DaLomba curled up, laying down in the back hatch area."
The man, whom officials declined to identify, called the police.
Winquist said searchers had passed the SUV during the three-day search for DaLomba but it had tinted windows that made it difficult to see inside and the police aren't sure when or how DaLomba entered the vehicle. She has mobility impairments that make the police wonder whether she would have needed assistance.
The caregiver who reported her missing, and then, according to the police, changed her story several times, was arrested to face a felony charge of abuse, neglect and exploitation of an impaired adult and of obstructing the police by giving false information. Roberta Gerard was awaiting processing at police headquarters during the press conference.
Winquist said that Gerard first told officers that she had lost track of DaLomba on Wednesday afternoon at Burlington Coat Factory. After investigators confronted Gerard with video footage that showed she and DaLomba had not been in the store, Gerard said that she had stopped at home to heat up some food and, during the four minutes she had left DaLomba alone in the car, DaLomba had, despite her mobility impairments, managed to get out of the car, which was equipped with rear doors that locked and could not be opened from inside.
"We had our doubts to that story," Winquist said.
The fact that DaLomba was found in good health despite needing insulin every few hours gives rise to the question as to whether someone was caring for her during the days she was missing. Winquist said that the investigation into where DaLomba was while she was missing, how she got where she was found and who may have assisted is ongoing and would not rule out charges against other people.
Winquist said that the police searched DaLomba's apartment and Gerard's home during the investigation and that the FBI, the state police and the Providence police assisted in the investigation.
The chief said that Special Olympians helped in the search for DaLomba, who, herself, has competed in the Special Olympics.
"We're glad this turned out the way it did," Winquist said. "A lot of these don't turn out in a positive way.
"Our thoughts became quite grim but we never gave up hope that we would find her."
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Missing woman found in Cranston, caregiver charged with abuse