Police confirm bodies are those of missing New Mexico teens

New Mexico authorities have confirmed that two bodies found in Sandoval County are those of two teenagers who had been reported missing in mid-December.

Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Keith Elder announced Monday that 15-year-old Collin Romero and 14-year-old Ahmed Lateef were found buried in a remote area west of Rio Rancho.

The two were reported missing Dec. 17 after one of their mothers reported a video on social media showed them bloodied and beaten.

Investigators with the Albuquerque Police Department had said they believed the teens were involved in a drug deal that may have gone bad.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Sandoval County deputies found clothing that contained evidence of a violent crime and began to investigate along with State Police. That led to the bodies.

The cause of death remains under investigation.

___

Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)