A body has been found amid the search for a Texas teenager who went missing on Christmas Eve, authorities said Tuesday.
Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, was last seen Wednesday morning, according to Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies and volunteers have been searching for her around the clock since then and there was information suggesting she was in “imminent danger,” according to Sheriff Javier Salazar.
While searching an area Tuesday afternoon, authorities found a body in a field about 100 yards from Mendoza Olmos’ home in northwest Bexar County, Salazar said.
“At this time we do not suspect that any crime has been committed,” he said during a press conference.
This photo released by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office shows 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos. She was last seen searching her vehicle for an unidentified object, according to video from early Wednesday morning. Investigators believe she left the residence on foot as her vehicle remained there.
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
The body has not yet been officially identified and the local medical examiner has not yet determined the cause and manner of death, Salazar said.
“We’re hoping we can try to speed up that process so we can get answers from the community,” he said.
Salazar noted there were some indicators of self-harm.
A firearm was located at the place where the body was found, Salazar said. A firearm belonging to a relative of Mendoza Olmos is missing, he said. Authorities have not yet determined whether the missing firearm matches the one seen at the scene, he said.
Salazar said one possibility investigators were working under regarding the teen’s disappearance was “fear of self-harm” and that there were some “indicators of suicidal ideation” and undiagnosed signs of depression.
“From what they have described to us, it seems that this is a young person who is going through a very difficult time in his life,” he said.
The body was found shortly before 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Salazar said. The area had been searched previously, although authorities from the sheriff’s office and the FBI returned Tuesday, Salazar said. The field has tall grass and officials felt it would be beneficial to review it again, he said.
The body was found wearing clothing similar to a description of what Mendoza Olmos may have been wearing when she disappeared, Salazar said.
“This is certainly not the result we expected,” he said.
Amid the search for the teen, authorities this week released dashcam video of someone driving to work Wednesday morning and passing a woman walking alone. Salazar said Tuesday that it is still unclear if that person was Mendoza Olmos.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988.
