Kamryn Meyers and Sitlalli Avelar: Cops find bodies of missing teens who escaped group home in Arizona
MESA, ARIZONA: Local authorities reported that two teenage girls, who allegedly escaped from a group home in Arizona, were discovered dead in a water basin over the weekend. The bodies of Kamryn Meyers, 15, and Sitlalli Avelar, 17, were discovered by police at around 6 pm on Saturday, January 21.
As per the Mesa police department, a dog walker reported seeing what he believed to be a mannequin in a water retention basin in Mesa near Southern Avenue and Superstition Springs Boulevard at around 6 pm on Saturday after which he alerted the authorities. The police confirmed it was a body. While surveying the area, police came across another body dumped 10 feet away. Meyers and Avelar had been reported missing since Saturday, January 7.
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The teenagers had run away from a Powerhouse Youth Facility Inc, a group home for troubled young people, as per WALF. Police identified the bodies as 15-year-old Kamryn Meyers and 17-year-old Sitlalli Avelar. Authorities said that based on evidence, the bodies appeared to have been in the water for quite some time before being discovered due to their condition. The medical examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, which could take weeks.
Brad Miller, an attorney for the company, said the teenagers had a history of leaving group homes and were also overheard discussing a plot, a day prior to their escape, according to Arizona's Family. He said the staff at the group home tried to convince them to stay, but they left the next day. They then notified agencies, including Mesa police and the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS). The staff reportedly met with Mesa police again on Tuesday, January 10, when the girls still hadn’t returned. Miller added that Powerhouse is a state-licensed facility and that by law, cannot force children to stay. It is not yet confirmed if there was any foul play.
“There’s so much life ahead of them; they have so much opportunity and growth and learning,” she said. “It’s disappointing, you expect more,” Cathy Catalfo, a neighbor said. Catalfo further mentioned that off lately, "there’s been more police activity around the house." She added, “There has been a lot of traffic in general, a lot of police officers coming in the last couple of weeks.” “I guess the first thing that comes to my mind is who enticed you to leave. What made you leave a safe environment?"