PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Community members and Portsmouth police joined the search Tuesday for 19-year-old Daquan Rountree.
The community search effort started in the 1500 block of Pulaski Street, which Rountree was last seen on the night of Sunday, Dec. 10.
An Ashanti Alert was issued last week. Tuesday, a public safety alert was sent out, reaching phones across Hampton Roads.
Gabriel Rountree said his son lived with him in Portsmouth because it was near his workplace, but he mostly grew up in Virginia Beach, where he was a good student and ran track at Bayside High School.
He said his son’s behavior on the night of Dec. 10 was unusual. He ran from the house —without clothes or any phones —after having an apparent mental health episode and threatening suicide.
There have been few reported sightings since, which led to the community effort.
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Family offering $1,000 reward for info regarding missing 19-year-old son
“It's just been too many days since my son's been missing,” Gabriel Rountree said. “I think it's a lot more serious than people are thinking. It's not just a runaway or a lot of things like that. This is real serious because of the state of mind my son was in.”
The search team broke into groups: some going door to door handing out flyers in Rountree’s neighborhood and near Fifth and Franklin streets, the site of another lead deemed credible by police.
“Unfortunately, it was a cold and rainy night that particular night,” said Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins. “And so not as much traffic on the street. Part of that is the issue that we’re having with usually people that would have seen something out.”
Other searched the woods near Rountree’s home.
Watch previous coverage: Family offering $1,000 reward for info regarding missing 19-year-old son
”We not playing games about my son,” Gabriel Rountree said. “We all up in there. I’m dressed to be in any kind of environment. I got on my boots ready to get dirty looking for my son. I ain’t playing about my son.”
Teams of Portsmouth Police officers also joined the search efforts. Jenkins said it was important for his department to be out here.
“Obviously every day that goes by makes this a little bit more difficult, but, again, we want to hold out hope as a community," he said. “We want to hold out hope for the family that we’re going be able to find this young man or at least get some information that we’ll be able to provide to the family.”
Rountree’s family is also offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to his safe return. Those with information are asked to call the Portsmouth Police Department at (757) 393-5300.
