A body was found in the search for missing Texas teenager Camila Mendoza Olmos on Tuesday, almost a week after she mysteriously vanished from her home on Christmas Eve, according to authorities. Olmos, 19, was last seen on a neighbor's surveillance camera early Wednesday morning, walking away from her San Antonio neighborhood just before 7 a.m.
When she didn't return, worry quickly set in, triggering an intense, week-long search as authorities warned she might be in "imminent danger." On Tuesday, officers made a grim discovery, finding a body around 4:45pm. The body was found close to Camila's home, near the Burning Bush Landscaping Company, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said.
Grim Discovery and a Tragic End
The medical examiner has not yet officially identified the body found during the search, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a late Tuesday press conference. Investigators also found a gun near the body. Salazar said that authorities had been searching for a firearm reported missing by one of Olmos's relatives, but said it is still too early to know whether it is the same weapon recovered at the scene.
Officials said the field had been searched earlier, but they chose to return and comb through it again because thick brush may have obscured parts of the area.
Salazar also revealed that investigators uncovered information suggesting the 19-year-old had been struggling with depression and may have been experiencing suicidal thoughts. He added that it appeared Olmos "was a young person going through a very tough time in her life."
Going Through a Tough Time
Salazar said Olmos had been going through a "tough time," facing mounting pressures from school and work while also coping with the recent end of a relationship. The sheriff added that he hopes the medical examiner's office will be able to identify the remains within the next day or two and determine the cause and manner of death, bringing some clarity to the painful search.
"We hope we can expedite that process to be able to get the community answers that everybody's been waiting for," Salazar told reporters.
Olmos disappeared after setting out on one of her usual neighborhood walks early on December 24, her mother said. When she didn't return, concern quickly grew.
On Monday, investigators released dashcam footage that appears to show someone resembling the missing 19-year-old walking near her home around 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
Earlier that morning, surveillance cameras had captured Olmos searching her car before she left the house on foot. Authorities said she appeared to have only her car keys and possibly her driver's license with her, leaving her cellphone behind on her bed.
"Check on people," said Salazar. "Don't take anything for granted... If you're going through a crisis yourself, reach out and get help."
