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ARVADA, Colorado — A 19-year-old sleepwalker who went missing Tuesday morning was found safe at her uncle's home about nine miles from her residence, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.
Taylor Gammel, 19, was discovered missing in the 5600 block of Fig Court about 6:15 a.m. when her father called 911 after waking up to find the back door of his house open.
He told a dispatcher his daughter is known to be a sleepwalker and he was concerned for her well-being, sheriff's spokesman Mark Techmeyer said.
About 8:15 a.m., a call came in from someone who said they thought they saw Gammel at a bus stop at West 58th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. At 9 a.m., Gammel's uncle called to say the woman was at his home in Westminster, nine miles from her house.
Deputies used a bloodhound in an attempt to find Gammel and tracked her to a 7-Eleven near the bus stop, but then lost the trail. Techmeyer said there is a distinct possibility Gammel got on the bus, but further investigation led officials to believe she did not.
The sheriff's office said Gammel reportedly woke up while walking down the sidewalk and recognized she was close to her uncle's house. She then went there and let herself in, the sheriff's office said.
About 20 to 25 sheriff's deputies and officers from the Arvada Police Department plus the bloodhound helped try to find Gammel. Techmeyer said Gammel appeared to be unharmed and there are no concerns about her well-being.
- Much more common in children than adults
- More likely to occur when sleep deprived
- Prevalance: 1% - 15% of general population
More on sleepwalking
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