FALLSBURG, NY — The New York State Police in Liberty are asking for the public’s assistance in locating two missing teens from Sullivan County.

Fourteen-year-old Yante Teller and her 12-year old brother Chaim Teller, were last seen by family on December 8 at their home in the Town of Fallsburg.

Police say the teens were last seen getting into a vehicle in front of the home. The vehicle then drove away.

The children are not believed to be in any imminent danger, according to police, and are believed to have traveled to New York City. Anyone with information is asked to call 845/292-6600.

The two teens have been connected to battling factions of a cult in Guatemala. According to Yeshiva World News (YWN), “The missing teens are two of the six children in a family that recently escaped from the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala, following an intense international effort.”

YWN reports that a female religious leader named Sara Feige Teller, the daughter of the founder of the cult, had six children that were living with the cult. When Sara’s father died in 2017, her brother, Nachman Helbrans, took over as leader, and the brother and sister had many differences about how the organization should be operated.

Sara was placed into Cherem, a type of excommunication, after clashing with her brother over various religious issues. According to YWN, “She also had voiced opposition to a forced marriage of her eldest daughter, 13, to a 17-year-old son of cult leader Mayer Rosner. Several of her children were taken away and placed in other homes, and she was forced to work as a cleaning lady in the home of Mayer Rosner.” (tinyurl.com/yahnlm3r)

On November 5, YWN reported that efforts to rescue Sara and her allies were successful. All six children were brought to the United States.