LA MARQUE — Police on Tuesday expanded the search for an elderly preacher who has been missing since Sunday.

The search for the Rev. Luetellie Pinesette, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, now includes police from La Marque and Texas City with the assistance of the Houston Police Department’s helicopter patrol.

Pinesette was last seen Sunday when he left his daughter’s La Marque apartment in the 300 block of Duroux about 8:30 p.m. The 93-year-old was reportedly headed to a convenience store at the corner of FM 1765 and Vauthier Road with his grandson, La Marque Capt. Donald Head said.

Pinesette, who lives in west Texas City, was staying with his daughter while his wife was out of town. In addition to searching the area near the store, police also checked on Pinesette’s home in Plover, but didn’t find the man.

La Marque and Texas City officers returned to the area Tuesday afternoon to conduct a more extensive search, which included air support from the Houston Police Department, as well as officers on horseback.

Head said investigators were hoping to use a thermal imaging camera mounted on a Houston police chopper to aid in their search Tuesday night.

Donna Pinesette, who said she is the missing man’s wife, said she returned home Monday evening unaware her husband had been missing for more than a day.

Police said they had not talked with the woman because the family didn’t have an accurate number to reach her and their focus was on finding the missing man. Pinesette is a well-known west Texas City preacher.

Donna Pinesette also insisted that the age given of the missing man was incorrect because of inaccurate information on his driver’s license. He is 82-years-old, she said.

Police said they had been unable to confirm that information.

In an incident police said was not directly linked to Pinesette’s disappearance, the grandson was arrested Sunday night. Head said the man got into an argument with his mother when he returned to the apartment without his grandfather.

The argument escalated, and police were called to the apartment. Lionel Pinesette was charged with assaulting his mother, assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. He was in the Galveston County jail on bonds totaling $35,000.

Head said there is no evidence leading police to believe the grandson had anything to do with the elder Pinesette’s disappearance.

Luetellie Pinesette is 5-feet, 10-inches tall, weighs 155 to 165 pounds, is balding and normally wears glasses. He was wearing a green shirt, blue khaki pants and a blue La Marque Cougars jacket

Anyone with information about the missing man’s whereabouts should call La Marque police at 409-938-9269.