San Diego County authorities are still searching for Merle Wakefield, 69, after his GPS monitoring device issued a tampering alert early Friday while he was working in Rancho Bernardo, according to Patch and the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.

Liberty Healthcare, which supervises Wakefield through California's Conditional Release Program, responded to the 16000 block of Via Esprillo and found Wakefield's GPS device and cellphone, but Wakefield was gone, Patch reported Wednesday. The sheriff's office also said investigators had no credible reason to believe Wakefield was driving a white 2018 Toyota Camry, according to Patch.

NBC 7 previously reported Wakefield had been temporarily housed at 1138 Custer Road in Campo. For Santee-area readers, the East County connection is that Campo housing reference; the reported disappearance occurred in Rancho Bernardo, not Santee.

Patch reported Wakefield was convicted in 1980 and 1991 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and rape by force. Anyone who sees Wakefield or has information that could help locate him should contact law enforcement.

Sources: NBC 7 San Diego; Patch.