Fort Bragg Man Missing Since Late June; Family and Law Enforcement Seek Public’s Help in Locating Him

Ann Gittings woke up in the early morning of June 27 to find her adult son Robert Gittings nowhere to be found. In the weeks preceding his disappearance, Ann said she was concerned for her son’s declining mental health. After he had been missing for several days, Ann reported her son’s disappearance to Fort Bragg Police Department.

Ann explained that the morning Robert disappeared, he came over to her home at approximately 4:00 a.m. to have breakfast. Ann described the property as a two-acre parcel south of Fort Bragg with Robert living in a home immediately adjacent to Ann’s. When she fully awoke at 5:15 a.m., he and his vehicle were gone.

Ann said Robert has never left home without notice for extended periods of time. Before his disappearance, Ann said Robert’s mental health appeared compromised. She had reached out to Mendocino County’s mental health resources but found them difficult to obtain due to COVID-19 closures.

Ann said she had contacted all of Robert’s known friends who expressed concern about his disappearance and joined in social media efforts to bring attention to finding Robert.

Sergeant Jon McLaughlin said Fort Bragg Police received the initial report regarding Robert’s disappearance on July 3. Based on the information the officer received, the department entered Robert’s information into a nationwide missing person database and issued a Be On the Lookout for his vehicle to California law enforcement.

As to potential locations of Robert Gettings and his vehicle, both Robert’s mother Ann and Sergeant McLaughlin expressed having no indications of where he might have gone at this point.

Sergeant McLaughlin described the department’s next investigatory steps include attempting to reinstate cellphone service to the phone Robert is known to carry in attempts to ping his location, reviewing Robert’s credit/debit/EBT card history to identify where he might have gone, and message Robert’s various social media accounts encouraging him to get in touch with law enforcement.

Being that the location Robert went missing from is not in Fort Bragg’s city limits, Sergeant McLaughlin said there is a possibility the case will be taken over by Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. He explained that the State of California requires the agency who first took the report of a missing person to conduct the initial investigation.

Robert Gittings is 29 years old, 5 ’11’’, and approximately 260 pounds. He is described as wearing black pullover hoodies, pants or basketball shorts, and always a hat and black-rimmed glasses He drives a dark gray 2007 Scion TC Sedan (California License #5XMS399).

Sergeant McLaughlin asks that if anyone has information about Robert Gitting’s movements or location, please contact the Fort Bragg Police Department at (707)964-0200.