BREAKING: Body of Jean Baptista, 2004 ALJ Grad, Found in Delaware

The body of Clark native Jean Baptista, a 2004 Arthur L. Johnson graduate, was found in a Delaware creek today in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

Although the exact cause of death remains unclear, Delaware Online is reporting that Baptista and a friend – 25-year-old Christopher Valentine of Hockessin, Delaware – had not been seen since midnight on Sunday, when they left a friends house and texted another friend that they were "running through the hurricane" to Valentine's home, approximately 2.5 miles away.

On Facebook, Baptista posted at 11:50 pm. on Sunday: "Running thru this — with Chris Valentine at Hurricane Irene" via his cell phone. The next day, Baptista's brother Nicolas began posting on Facebook asking friends if they'd seen Jean. 

Around 2 a.m. Monday, Delaware Online posted a story saying the pair was missing.

At 4 p.m., the site broke the news that the bodies had been found, and friends began expressing their condolensces on Baptista's Facebook page.

Baptista studied Civil Engineering at the University of Delaware in Newark, DE and lived with his family on James Avenue. At Johnson, he played lacrosse and soccer. Lacrosse teammate Scott Diaz was shocked to hear the news of Baptista's death. "He was a really fun guy," Diaz told Patch. "This sucks."

Patch will update this article as more information becomes available.