New Mexico Teens Missing Nearly Two Weeks After Snapchat Video Shows Them Suffering Bloody Beating
The last time Collin Romero, 15, and Ahmed Lateef, 14, were seen was in a Snapchat video showing them being brutally beaten. Since this video, the boys from Albuquerque have not been seen and authorities from New Mexico are concerned for their safety as the search continues.
According to the New York Post, Romero and Lateef may have been involved in a drug deal that went horribly wrong, resulting in the shocking video footage of them being beaten. The pair has been missing since December 16, meaning they have now been missing for nearly two weeks.
Collin’s mother, Amanda Kimbrel, was interviewed by KOB4 and is imploring locals to search the area of West Mesa, from where the boys went missing. This area was identified after the last ping from Ahmed’s Snapchat location.
“If there are arroyos near your house or wash out things like that please just check,” Amanda said.
A warrant has been issued by authorities to Snapchat, the social media service on which the brutal beating was shown. However, as yet, Snapchat has not released the footage.
“They were being beaten very, very brutally, pistol-whipped. Snapchat has this information and they are refusing to hand it over.”
Teens missing after Snapchat video of bloody beatdown Police in New Mexico are searching for two missing teens last seen in a grisly Snapchat video of them being assaulted in a bloody beatdown. Collin Romero, 15, and Ahmed Lateef, 14, have been m… https://t.co/bHsGsN0xWc #USRC pic.twitter.com/PWCWYX6UWy
— Top U.S. & World News? (@USRealityCheck) December 27, 2018
Besides the Snapchat footage, according to Collin’s grandmother, Kelen Kimbrell, there is also an image showing the boys in the back of a car.
“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,” Kelen told KRQE.
The families spent Christmas day searching for the missing teens.
“I had so many plans for this Christmas,” Amanda Kimbrel told KOB4.
“This was the first Christmas I could really afford to do a lot. I had the Christmas tree up and lights, my son always wanted me to do stuff like that but, money was always an issue. This is the first time it wasn’t and he doesn’t get to see any of it.
Search parties have been searching since their disappearance, but the vast landscape makes it difficult to completely scour the area. They are now reaching out for help from the broader community.
“We’re really asking for the younger community to take this seriously,” Collin’s mother implored. “We’re concerned with their whereabouts, not who did this or why.”
Authorities are urging people to contact Crime Stoppers on 505-843-7867 if they have any information pertaining to Collin and Ahmed’s disappearance or their brutal beating.
In addition, a Facebook group has been set up to help coordinate the local search parties as the hunt continues.
