New Castle County Police are searching for two men who were reported missing after walking outdoors during Hurricane Irene.
Police Cpl. John Weglarz says 25-year-old Christopher Valentine of Hockessin and 25-year-old Jean Baptista of Clark, N.J., were last seen around midnight Saturday during the peak of the Category 1 hurricane.
Weglarz says the men had left a home on foot just before midnight. He says they sent a text message to a friend indicating they were running through the hurricane.
The two were headed to Valentine’s residence on the 300 block of Cameron Drive in Hockessin – two miles away from the house they were leaving.
Valentine's mother reported him missing Sunday afternoon. The vehicle the two men drove to the restaurant earlier in the night was still in the restaurant’s parking lot, Weglarz says.
Valentine is white, 6-feet 1-inch tall, weighs 175 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt with white shorts.
Batista is white, 6-feet 1-inch tall, weighs 190 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing plaid shorts and a yellow T-shirt.
Anyone with information is asked to call New Castle Police at 302.573.2800.
Hockessin is an inland community about 10 miles northwest of Wilmington.
2 Men Missing in Del. After Walking in Irene
The two men were last seen walking from a home in northern Delaware.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
