Disappearance of Two Teenagers Raises Questions About New Mexico Child Welfare System
The disappearance of two teenagers, 13-year-old Andy Carrasco and 15-year-old Santino Martinez, from a group home in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, is intensifying scrutiny of the state's child welfare system and its capacity to care for vulnerable youth.
Albuquerque Santa Fe, NM, October 26, 2026 —
The disappearance of two teenagers from a group home in Bernalillo County is drawing increased scrutiny to New Mexico’s child welfare system and its ability to care for vulnerable youth, according to the available summary of the case.
The teenagers are identified as 13-year-old Andy Carrasco and 15-year-old Santino Martinez. The summary says they disappeared from the group home, but does not provide when they were last seen, how their absence was discovered or whether authorities have described the circumstances.
The account also does not state whether law enforcement or child welfare officials have issued public updates, what steps have been taken to locate the teenagers, or whether the group home has commented. No information was provided about the home’s operator, its policies or any findings related to the incident. The summary does not identify a specific cause for the disappearance.
The case is intensifying scrutiny of the state’s child welfare system and its capacity to care for vulnerable youth. However, the information provided does not include details about the system’s response, prior concerns involving the facility or any official review. It therefore does not establish whether a policy failure or other problem contributed to the teenagers’ disappearance.
Key details remain unavailable, including the date of the disappearance and the current status of the search. Without those details or statements from officials, the circumstances and any response cannot be described further. The known information is limited to the teenagers’ identities and ages, their disappearance from a group home in Bernalillo County, and the broader scrutiny the case is prompting.
Story summarized from the original created by Natassja Leyba on www.newsradiokkob.com, see more information here.
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