Remains of missing Georgia teen found near mall

The family of a missing Georgia teen last seen in September has confirmed that the remains found Saturday behind the Arbor Place Mall are his.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the family of Yaron Kathuri, 17, told a local network Sunday they were notified that the remains are those of the Douglasville teenager. He went missing on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

The Douglasville Police Department shared in a Facebook post on Saturday, Oct. 22 that the area was one of the last known locations of the then-missing youth. They had said that detectives were working to confirm the individual’s identity and the circumstances surrounding his death.

“I’m sad. I’m at a loss of words,” said Yaron’s father, Andrew Kathuri, according to The AJC. “(I’m) confused a little bit. I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster ’cause his memories and reality are coming together.”

Fox 5 Atlanta News reported that the family last saw their loved one around 8 a.m. on Sept. 28. They thought he was driving to school.

The grieving father said his son struggled with depression.

“He had texted his friends,” Andrew Kathuri told Fox 5. “He said that ‘I’m sorry.’ That he’s ‘tired of life.’”

According to WSB-TV, Yaron’s family made an attempt to get him checked into a mental health facility 48 hours before he went missing. The center maintained that Yaron would require outpatient treatment because it was at capacity.

The teen’s mother, Vera Kathuri, believes his disappearance could’ve been avoided had he been allowed to be admitted into the facility.

“I would say if he was admitted — because he was really adamant about getting medication — that maybe could have calmed down his fears about what he was going through,” she said, WSB reported.

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