Mystery surrounds death of Alfa Barrie, 11, and Garrett Warren, 13, as young witness comes forward with new evidence

A TEENAGER has come forward as a witness in the investigation into the mysterious deaths of two boys in New York City.

The body of Garrett Warren, 13, was pulled from the Harlem River on May 18, almost a week after he and his friend Alfa Barrie, 11, were last seen.

Just two days after Warren was found, Barrie's body was discovered by cops in the Hudson River on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

The NYPD Harbor Unit recovered his body from the river on Saturday morning.

The two bodies of water connect at the north end of Manhattan and the two boys were found about three miles apart.

Garrett died by accidental drowning. The cause of Barrie's death has yet to be determined by the medical examiner's office.

Warren and Barrie hadn't been home since May 12 and were last spotted playing together in Harlem near a fish market that day.

Now, law enforcement sources said a teenager has come forward to share what he saw happen, according to CNN.

He told cops that he saw the pair messing around near the shoreline before their disappearance.

The teenager said he saw one of the boys try to push the other toward the edge of the water when they both fell in.

He said he did not see the pair again after he ran away from the area.

He later found an adult, who called 911.

Police received a 911 call about two boys playing in the Harlem River on Friday night, which led to a search there.

But because Barrie and Warren weren't reported missing until Sunday and Monday, respectively, investigators didn't make the connection between the boys and the call.

The NYPD is working to identify all of the kids who were with the boys that afternoon.

It remains unclear how the two boys ended up on different sides of the borough, but an NYPD spokesperson said that the tides may have played a part.

Capt. Richard Werner, the owner of Safe Boating America told The New York Times: “The currents in any river can be hazardous.

"But the Hudson and the Harlem rivers are unique because both are large bodies of water with high commercial traffic and fast currents.”

Speaking to The Post, Alfa's family explained the family's pain as they try to untangle the mystery.

Ahmadou Diallo, Alfa's uncle said: "We still do not understand what happened," and added that his nephew could not swim.

Alfa's older brother Ahmadou Diallo added: "He was not the adventurous type - he would not have gone on an adventure like this.

"He never did anything like this."

Meanwhile, Garrett's family said: "We're taking it hard."

Alfa's school issued a statement for their former student and his friend.

It read: "Alfa was a 6th grader at Democracy Prep Harlem Middle School, where he stood out as a funny, bright, witty, inquisitive, and brave child.

“He will be sorely missed by his teachers and fellow students.

“We also stand in solidarity with the family of Alfa’s friend, Garrett Warren. While he was not a student, we understand that this is a difficult time for his community as well and share our prayers with them.”