A body has been found amid a 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 the 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 the 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 point we do not suspect foul play,” he said during a press briefing.
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office – PHOTO: Camila Mendoza Olmos
The body has not yet been officially identified and the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined by the local medical examiner, Salazar said.
“We hope that we can try to speed up that process so that we can get the answers of the community,” he said.
Salazar noted that there were some indicators of self-harm.
A firearm was found at the place where the body was found, Salazar said. He said a firearm belonging to a relative of Mendoza Olmos was missing. Authorities have not yet determined if the missing firearm is a match to the one observed at the scene, he said.
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Salazar said that the possibility investigators were working on the disappearance of the young man was the “fear of harming himself,” and that there were some “indicators of suicidal ideation” and signs of undiagnosed depression.
“From what is being described to us, it looks like he was a young man going through a very difficult time in his life,” he said.
The body was found shortly before 5 pm local time on Tuesday, Salazar said. The area had been searched before, although authorities with the sheriff’s office and the FBI were back on Tuesday, Salazar said. The field has tall grass, and the authorities felt there would be benefit in checking it again, he said.
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The body was found wearing clothing similar to a description of what Mendoza Olmos may have been wearing when she went missing, Salazar said.
“This is definitely not the result we were hoping for,” he said.
Amidst the search for the young man, the authorities this week released a dashcam video from someone who was driving to work on Wednesday morning and passed a woman walking alone. Salazar said that on Tuesday it is still not clear if that person was Mendoza Olmos.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts – free confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national helpline on 988.