Suspicious New Details About Two Missing Teen Boys Who Were Allegedly Beaten Up On A Snapchat Video
A Snapchat video shows the teens being beaten.
Facebook Two Albuquerque teens disappeared Monday after an alleged pot deal gone wrong. Collin Romero, 15 and Ahmed Lateef, 14, have not been seen or heard from in days.
"I got a phone call from one of his friends who was very concerned about his whereabouts, said he went outside to meet a friend who was giving weed to this person and that after that, they disappeared," Romero's mother, Amanda Kimbrel, told KOAT.
A Snapchat video of the boys being brutally beaten in the West Mesa surfaced and authorities are desperately looking for clues as to where they could be.
"There were broken bones, and they were being pistol-whipped repeatedly, and in the back seat of the vehicle, they were unconscious," Kimbrel said.
The boys' families and dozens of volunteers set out on foot to search the area Snapchat pinged as their last known location.
"We're trying to look for tire tracks, blood, you know, anything that might (help) but it's a needle in a haystack out here," Amanda Kimbrel told KOAT.
According to KRQE, Romero's grandmother, Kellen Kimbrel, believes law enforcement "has no interest" and is not doing enough to locate the teens, but Officer Simon Drobik with the Albuquerque Police Department says otherwise.
"We've mobilized pretty much the entire department in different divisions to help assist with this missing persons investigation," he said.
The Kimbrel family says it has received terrifying tips over the last few days.
"We've been told there's a photo of the boys in the back seat of the car, with a man in the middle holding them as if they are trophies," said Kelen Kimbrel.
Collin Romero, Crimestoppers
Unfortunately, there have been no updates on the case.
"We're really asking for the younger community to take this seriously," she said. "We're concerned with their whereabouts, not who did this or why."
People have taken to social media to post tips and address the missing boys but police are concerned all the online attention is hurting the search.
"With all these rumors running around and just passing information, which direction do we go," says Drobik.
Since the boys' disappearance, accusations and theories have been popping up all over the Internet. Although it may seem like these social media posts could potentially be helpful, authorities say they could actually hinder their investigation.
Ahmed Lateef, Crimestoppers
"It's very dangerous for the investigation if people are putting innuendos out there and rumors and speculation," Drobik said, adding that most of the tips police have received have been through social media outlets. "We need facts and facts are what gets cases solved."
Calling people out via social media can also be dangerous, the officer said.
"In this case you know, you can get people in trouble, people can start turning on each other, other people could get hurt," Drobik said.
Although the boys are still missing, Kimbrel says she will not give up until her son and his friend are found.
"I am preparing myself for the worst, but he's alive until we find him," she told KOAT.
If you have any information about this case or regarding the whereabouts of Collin Romero and Ahmed Lateef you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at (505)-843-7867.
Sarah Gangraw writes about all things news, entertainment and crime. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.