16-year-old Sammy Mercado went missing Thursday, now the Fresno County Sheriff's Department has new leads. CBS47 spoke to a family friend, about pot farms leading to shootings like this one.
"There's no fence around, there's a little ditch seperating the road from it. You can see the marijuana plants from the street. If they want to protect it that bad, why don't they put up a fence?" asked Vergil Garza, a friend of the victim's family.
The teen was last seen by two friends when he was shot, while allegedly trying to steal marijuana from a farm in Sanger.
"One of the subjects began shooting toward Sammy Mercado and the vehicles at that point the two subjects that were still in the vehicle left, and they left Mr. Mercado," said Chris Curtice, Spokesperson with the Fresno County Sheriff's Department.
21-year-old Ernie Chanmany was named a person of interest. He is a Lao male, 5'6, 135lbs., and has black hair and brown eyes. Investigators are also looking for two trucks. A green 1995 Dodge Ram with California License plate # 4467A1 and a red 1997 Dodge 1500, license plate # HPU643.
CBS47 asked, if Mercado may no longer be alive? "We have no idea, i mean the longer that he's not heard from, probably the worse it looks," said Curtice. We also asked if the marijuana farm is illegal? Investigators say it's a grey area and they're focusing on finding the missing teen.
Family and friends are holding on to hope. "How do you justify shooting someone over a little plant?," asked Garza.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fresno County Sheriff's Department at (559) 488-3111.