PALM VALLEY – The search continues for a missing Palm Valley woman who was last seen last week.

Alice Johnson Myer’s family said her last known location was in Floresville, nearly four hours away.

The family said they thought they were taking all the right precautionary steps to protect their mother and keep her safe.

Myer’s son, James Tanamachi, said his 66-year-old mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He said they recently suffered a loss in the family.

“When something in her life stressful happens that can start it, and a lot of times it doesn’t get to this point and sometimes it does, but we get her the help she needs,” he said.

Tanamachi said they decided to take away her car to prevent her from taking off like she did in previous incidents.

“She would usually text somebody or call somebody,” he said. “It would’ve been somebody by now, and that’s the real concerning thing.”

Myers was reported missing on Saturday after Tanamachi found paperwork stating she had purchased a new vehicle.

“It’s looking like she’s gonna be in the area of Floresville based on the pings from her cellphone over the weekend, before the phone ran out of batteries,” he said.

According to Palm Valley Police Sgt. Cody Hunt, Myers has not used her credit cards since Friday.

“What we’ve been trying to do is get her a Silver Alert because they’re certain criteria for it and there needs to be a diagnosed medical condition from a doctor,” he explained.

Hunt said they only have 72 hours after an individual goes missing to issue the alert.

“Bottom line, this is somebody’s mother and we just want to make sure we get her back safely. If she’s not willing to call back or cooperate, we gotta do our best to make sure we try to find her before something does happen to her,” he said.

Tanamachi said his family hopes the alert will soon be used to help bring his mother home safely.

Myers is said to be driving a 2015 white Chevrolet Cruze with temporary license plate 29R6343. She’s described as being five feet, two inches tall with brown hair and green eyes.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts can call the Palm Valley Police Department at 956-873-1500 or the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office at 956-554-6700.

In 2007, the state created the Silver Alert Program to help families locate their loved ones who may suffer from various mental conditions, including Alzheimer’s.

The criteria that must be met for an alert is the following:

• A missing person who is 65 years of age or older

• If the person suffers from a mental condition

• If the senior citizen’s disappearance pose a credible threat to his/her health and safety

• The report must be filed within the first 72 hours of their disappearance

• There must be sufficient evidence stating the senior citizen’s disappearance is due to their mental condition

If the missing person is granted the Silver Alert, their identifying information will be posted state-wide on highway signs.

Dr. Daniel Gutierrez, an adult and child psychiatrist, explained what someone who is diagnosed with a bipolar disorder can go through.

“Bipolar disorder is a problem with a mood. They can have different varieties. A person could be very depressed. A lot of symptoms of depression like not sleeping, not eating, not having interest, not having energy… Their self-esteem is down,” he said.

He said bipolar patients can have a very normal life as long as they take their medication and monitor their health.