The Texas teenager who vanished from her home in the early hours of Christmas Eve is feared to be in "imminent danger," with investigators warning that the case could extend beyond the borders of the United States. Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, was last seen on a neighbor's surveillance camera leaving her home in a San Antonio suburb at 6:58 a.m. on Wednesday.
Olmos hasn't been seen since. Speaking to ABC on Sunday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that investigators are "not ruling out that this case may take us outside the borders of the continental United States," CBS News reported. "We definitely don't want to miss anything," Salazar said.
Mystery Deepens
Salazar added that he personally checked to make sure Camila had not been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling it a concern that crossed his mind early in the search, even though Mendoza Olmos is a U.S. citizen.
Investigators are keeping every possibility on the table in Olmos' disappearance, including kidnapping, human trafficking, or the chance that she left on her own, Salazar said.
He noted that the teen had recently gone through a breakup but stressed that it was amicable. Authorities do not currently suspect anything "nefarious," he added, and said friends and family have been fully cooperative with the investigation.
Salazar also reiterated that Olmos was not detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, emphasizing that she is an American citizen.
"That was a personal concern," he said. "So I had it checked to make sure there were no stops, no detentions, and that she's not somewhere in a federal detention facility. That is something we needed to check."
Surveillance footage shows Olmos outside her home, going through her car before the video cuts off, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. She never returned, and her car was left behind, leading investigators to believe she walked away with only her car keys and possibly her driver's license.
No Clues Available
Her mother, Rosario, realized something was wrong when she woke up on Wednesday morning and couldn't find her daughter, who was known for taking early-morning walks. By around 9:30 a.m., her concerns began to grow. She tried calling her daughter, only to find Camila's phone left on a bed with a dead battery.
Salazar said it was "highly unusual" for Olmos, who is active and independent, to leave without her phone and not come back, adding to the growing concern surrounding her disappearance.
"That's why we're working basically around the clock on this case," he told CBS News.
While Salazar would not reveal specific details, he said investigators are deeply concerned and believe the teen may be in "imminent danger."
Federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, are now helping with the search by monitoring border crossings and tracking possible international travel.
Olmos' childhood best friend, Camila Estrella, said she spoke with her just the day before she vanished. The two had talked excitedly about going dress shopping together for an outfit Olmos planned to wear to a family event with Estrella's boyfriend.
"She said, 'Bye Cami, I love you,'" Estrella recalled. "She was someone who was just full of love." "This is so random — we never expected this."
