Countywide emergency alerts were errors, Glendale says

Police in Glendale acknowledge that two emergency alerts blasted to wireless devices across Los Angeles County were mistakenly sent to a much broader area than intended.

The first alert was issued shortly after 8 p.m. Monday, reading, “Mannasseh Chibuzor Nwaigwe, Male African American 81 years old missing since this morning.”

Tens of thousands, if not millions, of Los Angeles residents received the urgent message, but when users clicked on it, no additional details were available. The county’s official emergency management office, Ready Los Angeles County, clearly tried to distance itself.

“A Wireless Emergency Alert related to a missing person was sent countywide around 8 pm this evening. Please refer any inquiries to the City of Glendale,” the agency posted on social media.

Glendale had no official statement Monday evening. A police watch commander, however, told KTLA that Nwaigwe has dementia, and no foul play was suspected in his disappearance.

Then, shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday, L.A. County residents were jolted again – by the same alert.

Finally, roughly an hour later, the Glendale Police Department announced that Nwaigwe was no longer missing and also admitted its mistake.

“The alert was unintentionally sent to a larger audience,” a police spokesperson told KTLA. “We intended to distribute this alert to Glendale residents only.”

This latest emergency alert mishap comes less than two months after millions of county residents received false evacuation warnings related to the Palisades Fire. Emergency management officials said the messages did not come from a person or employee of the county but were instead automated.