Law enforcement search for four missing young men
The Bucks County District Attorney’s office on Monday said it has launched a criminal investigation into the disappearance of four young men — three from Bucks County and one from Montgomery County — who went missing last week.
“Right now, the focus of the investigation is to determine their whereabouts and to ascertain whether or not we can bring them home safely,” Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub told reporters Monday morning in Solebury Township.
“We’re treating it as a criminal investigation at this time until we know differently,” said Weintraub.
The D.A. said a collaborate effort is underway between the Bucks County District Attorney’s office, the FBI and five Bucks County police departments — Newtown Township, Middletown, Buckingham, Plumstead and Solebury — to track down leads and conduct searches. The Bucks County Detectives are acting as the lead in the investigation, he said.
“As is obvious in a case of this scope and magnitude, it’s all hands on deck,” said Weintraub. “It’s going to be a collaborative investigation that will continue until we solve this missing persons incident.”
Weintraub added, would urge the public “I to give us your tips. If you have any information as to their whereabouts, location or anything that may be relevant in finding these four young men, please call 215297-8201.”
Among the missing are two teens from Lower Bucks County — Dean Finocchiaro, 18, of the Hampton Bridge section of Middletown Township, and Jimi Tar Patrick, 19, from Newtown Township.
Finocchiaro was last seen on Friday, July 7, at about 6:30 p.m. getting into a vehicle on Hampton Drive. He is 5 feet 9 inches, 150 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes.
Newtown Township police said Patrick has not been seen or heard from since approximately 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5. He has also had no contact with his family or friends and has not shown up for work, “which is not normal for him.”
Patrick is described as a white male, late teens, 5 feet 10 inches and approximately 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing gray shorts and polo shirt with a multi-colored design.
Also missing are two young adults — Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County, and Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township. Both Sturgis and Meo were last seen together on Friday, July 7.
Calling it a “very serious and very sensitive investigation,” the DA said he couldn’t provide much information at this point, except to say that authorities are investigating “all possible leads.”
When asked by reporters if the young men knew each other, Weintraub said, “We have information that they know each other, but we are still trying to run that down and ascertain whether that is accurate or not.”
Weintraub also said he could not speak to media reports that Sturgis’s car had been found at nearby Peddler’s Village in Lahaska. He also did not elaborate as to why investigators descended on a house on Aquetong Road in Solebury Township on Sunday evening or why they believe it is connected with the disappearances.
When asked if he felt the four were OK, the D.A. said, “I cannot say. We hope and pray that they are, but we need to go where the investigation leads us.
“At this point, I just ask for your patience and your prayers for these young men and please let us do our job so that we can see as to the whereabouts of these four young men,” said Weintraub.
If anyone has seen any of the four missing young adults or has information about their whereabouts, the district attorney is asking them to call 215-297-8201.