MESA, Ariz. — A lapse in communication led Devin Anselmo’s family to follow his Snapchat location to Mesa where they found a fiery, single-vehicle crash scene that killed two teens.
It was through clothing and shoe descriptions that Anselmo’s family said authorities confirmed the 17-year-old was a passenger in the car that had crashed into a pole near a canal bank on 8th Avenue on Sunday.
“It’s never going to be the same,” said Rosie Anselmo, one of the victim’s aunts. “It’s hard. You can’t process it. It’s painful… he was our baby.”
Devin Anselmo was a rising baseball player. He began playing at seven years old and, as a senior, played third base at Betty Fairfax High School.
Throughout the years he played in multiple teams and tournaments, earning 16 championship and finalist rings.
“He was just always just loving and caring and respectable and he was a good kid,” Rosie Anselmo said.
Devin Anselmo was the baby of the family. He was the youngest of three boys.
He died after the vehicle he was a passenger in crashed in Mesa early Sunday morning.
Police said the driver of the car was heading westbound at a high rate of speed on 8th Avenue when it hit a curb on South El Dorado and crashed into a pole near a canal bank.
The vehicle caught on fire due to the collision, and it was where the bodies of the two teens were discovered, police said.
“He was just my best friend,” Brandon Anselmo shared tearfully. He's the victim’s middle brother and spoke as he hugged a picture frame with his brother’s image.
“I did everything with him. It won’t be the same without him going on trips.”
Devin Anselmo’s family said they were planning a family trip to northern Arizona in December as a way to bond and create new memories together.
Now they hold on to the memories and possessions he loved.
Devin Anselmo was set to graduate in May, and he hoped to play baseball in college.
“I hoped my son would have been a professional baseball player,” said the victim’s grandmother, Evicensia Anselmo, as tears rolled down her face. “That dream is now gone… I loved him to death.”
The grieving family hopes the car accident sheds light on the importance of responsible driving.
“His death is tragic. He’s not going to be with us, hopefully not just kids, but even his brothers learn from this,” Rosie Anselmo said.
The family held a candlelight vigil Tuesday evening at the scene of the crash to honor Devin Anselmo’s memory.
They have set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.
“Devin touched a lot of people, he had a lot of friends, people cared for him and we are going to miss him,” the victims’ aunt said.
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