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Missing Md. Teen Found Dead Following Suspected Underage Drinking Party

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- After a 17-year-old boy who was reported missing was found dead over the weekend in Montgomery County, parents and police are searching for answers.

Police were called to the 6500 block of Elgin Lane in Bethesda, Maryland, for a possible rowdy party with minors. That was officers' first encounter with Navid Sepehri.

Police say he was captured on unreleased body camera footage and appeared to be under the influence. But they let him go after the people he was with said they had already called his parents.

Hours later, Sepehri's father said he found his son dead in a stream with a bottle of vodka in his pocket.

"Does the department believe more should have been done now in hindsight?" said Montgomery County Police Captain Paul Starks. "In this case, we were not able to hold him because there was no criminal or civil violation that was taking place."

The victim's father went to a police station and reported that his son was missing, but a report was never taken. Investigators are now looking into why that report was never filed.

"We don't know exactly what was said, we do know that circumstances existed that a report should have been taken. this entire investigation is ongoing," said Starks.

Sepehri attended Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.

Police say no one has been arrested in this case because there is no foul play.

The medical examiner will determine if the teen had alcohol or any other substances in his body.

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