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David Garcia of Santa Paula points to where he saw the missing Selso Magana, 86, stumble out of an orchard near Briggs School early Tuesday morning. Photo by Mike Johnson
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Post Christmas gift for lost senior found coming out of orchard
December 30, 2016
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
A post-Christmas gift came for a Santa Paula senior who left home and got lost on a day that as night fell became increasingly cold with icy winds, but was found by a stranger who said God led his search.
“I was just doing what was in my heart, God was telling me to get up and go look for him,” said David Garcia of Santa Paula, who found 86-year-old Selso Magana after the injured man stumbled out of an orchard early Tuesday morning.
According to Santa Paula Police Sgt. Cody Madison, Magana was reported missing Monday, December 26 at approximately 9:05 p.m.
“Officers responded to the 200 block of Beckwith Road for the report of a missing elderly subject,” last seen about 4 p.m. leaving his residence. Magana, a Hispanic male, 5’5” tall, 130 pounds, with grey hair and brown eyes, was last seen wearing a green baseball hat, plaid shirt, khaki pants, and black work boots.
“Obviously, due to Mr. Magana’s age and current weather,” with strong winds gusts and temperatures creating a basement wind chill factor, “there is a concern for his well-being,” said Madison at the time of the disappearance.
Garcia said he saw the SPPD post about Magana on social media: “I was already in bed, ready to call it a night. I was in shorts, just jumped up and put on sandals,” to go out and join the search.
A west side resident and being familiar with the area where Magana lived, Garcia believed Magana — who reportedly had been seen earlier in the vicinity at the Santa Paula Shopping Center and Circle K at Peck and Harvard — perhaps tried to take a shortcut home and got lost.
And, “I just had a feeling if he was anywhere he would be in the orchard.”
A helicopter and bloodhounds had joined the search.
Garcia hooked up the scanner app in his car and called SPPD Dispatch to ask if Magana had been found; hearing no, he said he would join the search.
“I just felt he was in the orchards,” and Garcia “kept doing circles and circles…after about an hour,” about 12:45 a.m., “I wound up seeing him coming out the avocado orchard near Briggs School, I jumped out of my car; I don’t speak Spanish but I called out ‘Senor Magana!’ and he said ‘Si, si!’ ”
Garcia called the SPPD and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Air Unit sent its helicopter over the scene to provide light.
Magana, noted Garcia, “Was pretty banged up. He was telling me he fell, his face was all bloody and I told him it would be okay, help was coming.”
Magana was transported to Santa Paula Hospital to receive treatment for a laceration to his head and exposure.
Garcia takes little credit for his action, noting, “I was definitely led by the Lord. I’m a firm believer that God is very active in our community. I felt I should not only be praying but following God’s word to find this man.”
Madison said the SPPD appreciated the efforts of all that took part in the search.
