“It’s killing them” | Friends organize search for missing Yell County teen
19-year-old Hector Barrientos, a former football player at Two Rivers High School, has been missing since Sunday, November 2nd.
OLA, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A Yell County teenager is still missing after nearly a week, prompting his friends and family to take up a search for him.
A crowd of around 50 came together in Ola on Saturday to search for 19-year-old Hector Barrientos.
Susie Walker helped organize them into search groups and led a prayer before the search began.
“I had Hector in preschool,” Walker said, “So he’s been here all of his life.”
During that time, Barrientos has made friends like Payton Mullins, who organized Saturday’s search.
He said state police and local officials have been making efforts since Barrientos went missing on Sunday, November 2nd, but he felt he had to do something as well.
“Hector was always there whenever we needed him,” Mullins said. “So that’s why we’re here, because he needs us.”
The weeklong disappearance is definitely taking a toll on those who know and love Barrientos.
“If you could see them this week, it’s killing them,” Walker said. “Not knowing where their friend’s at, not knowing- when you go from playing a video game with him and dropping him off and then not hearing from him again.”
Barrientos played football at Two Rivers High School and is a dependable friend, according to Mullins.
“He might mess with you from time to time,” Mullins said, “But he’s always there when you need him. Like, if you needed Hector, then you can go talk to him. And it doesn’t matter if he was tired, if he was this, if he was that- he would talk to you.”
Mullins said that the search party planned to look around the area Barrientos lives as well as some spots he used to hang out.
They don’t plan on doing it again, and again- until he’s found.
“If we don’t find him today, we’ll head out the Danville direction,” Mullins said, “And then the Dardanelle direction, and then the Casa direction, and just whatever directions we got to go until we find him.”
An entire community is hoping that’s soon.
“Please help us all to come back together with good news,” Walker prayed Saturday.
Arkansas state police say Barrientos was wearing blue pants, a black hoodie, and gray Nike shoes when he was last seen.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Yell County Sheriff’s Office.