Officers sent to check on 14-year-old before his death couldn't find him: Watchdog

The Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) has released additional information about their investigation into Carson Crimeni’s untimely death — saying that officers were sent to find him in the hours before his death.

The 14-year-old Langley teen passed away in the hospital on August 7, after a suspected drug overdose.

He was believed to have spent his last hours between the Walnut Grove Skateboard Park, the grounds of Walnut Grove Secondary School, and the Walnut Grove Athletic Park behind the high school.

Now, the IIO says that the RCMP received a call regarding Crimeni before he was taken to the hospital. However, they were unable to find him.

“At approximately 8 pm, on August 7, 2019, a call was received from a complainant who had seen a Snapchat photo of the youth from an unknown source and was concerned for his welfare,” reads a statement from the IIO.

“Two officers attended the location to conduct a welfare check but could not locate the youth.”

The IIO has also revealed that their ongoing investigation is working to uncover what role, if any, the officers’ actions or inactions played in Crimeni’s death.

In order to maintain the integrity of the Langley RCMP’s investigation, however, the IIO says it is unable to release any further information.

“Justice for Carson Crimeni”

A petition started by a Maple Ridge resident, called “Justice for Carson Crimeni,” has gained more than 25,000 signatures.

The author of the petition writes that three individuals were allegedly involved in the incident and “pressured [Crimeni] into taking a dangerous amount of drugs.”

“They filmed him out of his mind, clearly in need of medical help,” writes the author. “They laughed at him. They made fun of him.”

The creator of the petition calls for the individuals in question to be held responsible for their alleged actions, calling it “bullying at its finest.”

$38,000 raised in a GoFundMe

A GoFundMe that was started in the teen’s memory has raised $38,000 in just under two weeks.

The fundraiser was started by close friends of the Crimeni family, who say describe the 14-year-old as a “loving, energetic, and happy high school student.”

The family is described as “the type of people who would give you the shirt off their back and ask for nothing in return.”

Carson Crimeni/GoFundMe