Three pals have been missing for more than a fortnight after receiving a mysterious phone call during a BBQ.
The close friends vanished after leaving the gathering on 6 April.
Pedro Henrique Di Benedetto Rodrigues, 24, was the one who took the call, according to witnesses.
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After a brief exchange of words, he handed the phone to Vítor Juan Santiago, 22, and to 18-year-old Carolina Oliveira de Lima.
A friend, who chose to remain anonymous, said: “They got agitated, said they needed to sort something out quickly and would be back soon.
“They left in Vítor’s car and were never seen again.”
Two days later (8 Apr), Vítor’s Fiat Palio was found abandoned on the BR-116 motorway in São Leopoldo, Brazil.
The spot lies about 15km (9 mi) from the gathering in Canoas, north of Porto Alegre.
The car was locked, with no visible signs of violence and the trio’s phones, wallets and keys left inside.
The police are working to trace the source of the mystery call, as reported by Need To Know.
A cousin of Pedro, who chose to remain anonymous, believes it could be related to debts or a settling of scores.
He told local media: “Pedro had problems in the past, but he was trying to turn things around.
“We don’t know who called, but he seemed nervous when he left.”
Pedro and Vítor have criminal records for drug trafficking, but Carolina’s record is clean.
Lead investigator Graziela Zinelli told local media: “There isn’t enough evidence at this point to confirm any specific motive.”
Carolina’s mother, Kátia Simone Rezende Oliveira, said on social media: “My daughter is full of life, a dreamer.
“I can’t believe she just vanished. Until there’s proof that they’re gone, I’ll keep believing they’re still alive.”
Police and volunteers have been searching for the trio but have not found any trace of them to date.
One local told reporters: “It’s like they vanished into thin air. It’s frightening, because it could happen to anyone.”
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