ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 13-year-old boy in the custody of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) remained missing after running from the University of New Mexico Children’s Psychiatric Center during an internal transfer on Aug. 11, officials said.
Timeline and notification questions
CYFD confirmed Friday afternoon that the youth, identified as Andy Carrasco, was still unlocated. According to CYFD, New Mexico State Police transported Carrasco from a treatment center to the UNM psychiatric facility on July 17 for what the agency described as acute care needs. The agency said Carrasco left the facility and jumped a fence during an internal transfer on Aug. 11.
There are discrepancies in when outside agencies were informed. CYFD told local media it notified UNM police, state police and Roswell police on Tuesday that Carrasco was missing. However, New Mexico State Police told reporters they did not learn Carrasco was missing until Friday morning, when UNM police contacted them.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 17 | State police transported Carrasco to UNM Children’s Psychiatric Center for acute care. |
| Aug. 11 | Carrasco left the facility during an internal transfer and jumped a fence, per CYFD. |
| Aug. 11–14 | CYFD says it notified UNM police, state police and Roswell police on Tuesday; state police say they were not notified until Friday morning. |
Concerns from child-welfare advocates
Maralyn Beck, founder of the New Mexico Child First Network and a former foster parent to multiple teens admitted to the Children’s Psychiatric Center, said the facility previously required strict check-in and badge procedures for inpatient care. She stressed those measures include signing in and out and multiple security checks.
"When you are inpatient at Children’s Psychiatric, there are double doors in, like you are badged in, you are badged through, you are signed in, you are checked out and you are signed out and checked in," Beck said. "Now that being said, if this took place on a playground outside and the kid absconded over a multi 10 foot wall, I don’t know how you prevent that. But I think someone should be asking if it’s happened once, it’s going to happen again."
Beck also underscored a broader issue: children leaving while in CYFD custody. CYFD reported that from the beginning of April through the end of June, 56 children were reported as runaways.
What authorities are asking the public
The New Mexico State Police issued a Britney Alert for Carrasco. The alert said he was wearing a brown shirt and blue scrubs when he left the facility. Authorities asked anyone with information to call 911 or UNM police.
- Subject: 13-year-old in CYFD custody, named Andy Carrasco.
- Last known location: UNM Children’s Psychiatric Center, left Aug. 11 during an internal transfer.
- Clothing: brown shirt and blue scrubs, per Britney Alert.
- Action requested: contact 911 or UNM police with tips.
WE NEWS reached out to UNM Police earlier Friday and did not receive a response to calls. CYFD released a written statement about the incident; portions of that statement were cited by news outlets reporting on the case. Questions remained Friday about the timeline of notifications among the agencies involved.
The disappearance of a youth in behavioral health crisis raises immediate safety concerns for families and caregivers across Albuquerque. Mental-health providers, child-welfare advocates and law enforcement typically coordinate on alerts and searches when children in state custody go missing, but the differing accounts about when officials were notified have prompted calls for clear answers about facility procedures and interagency communication.
Authorities continue to investigate and ask anyone with information to contact local police. WE NEWS will update this story as new information becomes available.
