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Body found in search for missing Texas teenager after sheriff shared mysterious dashcam video
A week-long search for missing Texas teenager Camila Mendoza Olmos has ended in tragedy after authorities discovered a body in tall grass near her family’s San Antonio home.
The 19-year-old vanished after leaving her house on foot early Christmas Eve morning, sparking urgent appeals and a large-scale search involving local deputies, the FBI and federal agencies.
Per News 4 San Antonio, the discovery has left her family reeling, particularly her mother Rosario Olmos, who was heard repeating the words, “So close to home,” after learning where the body was found.
Investigators say the remains resemble Camila, though DNA testing has not yet been completed to formally confirm her identity.
Police located the body late Tuesday night at Burnin' Bush, a landscaping business situated almost directly behind the Olmos family residence.
A firearm was also found nearby, adding another layer to the investigation as authorities work to determine exactly what happened.
Body discovered close to where Camila vanished
Bexar County sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents said the body was found in a dense patch of grass during a renewed search of the area.
A 9mm Luger pistol was located nearby, the same type of weapon Camila’s brother Carlos reported missing from their home shortly after she disappeared.
Although DNA tests are still pending, a sheriff’s source told the Daily Mail that the remains match Camila’s description.
Authorities had earlier said they feared the teenager could be in “imminent danger” after she went missing, prompting assistance from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Frank Trevino, 69, a retired insurance salesman who helped lead search efforts, described the moment Rosario Olmos learned of the discovery.
“Her eyes were not there,” he told the Daily Mail, adding that she stared at a wall while repeating, “So close to home.”
Questions remain about what happened
It remains unclear how Camila died, though Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said deputies do not currently believe foul play was involved and are considering self-harm as a possibility.
“We developed some information that there may have been some suicidal ideations on Camila's part,” Salazar said.
“Undiagnosed, as far as we can tell. It sounds like this was a young person going through a very tough time in her life, going through some emotional issues.”
Camila’s family has pushed back strongly against that suggestion. Her father, Alfonso Mendoza, told the Daily Mail, “She would never do something like that her herself, to us. She just wouldn't. Not ever.”
Her mother also disputed claims that a recent breakup may have contributed.
“People talk. But they don't know my daughter like I do,” she said, explaining that the relationship ended amicably.
“It ended on good terms, in a lovely way,” she said, adding it “wasn't something she was depressed about.”
Last known movements before her disappearance
Surveillance footage obtained by KENS5 showed Camila leaving her San Antonio neighborhood just before 7am, wearing a hoodie and pyjama shorts.
Investigators said she appeared to be searching inside her parked car for an unidentified item before the video abruptly ended.
Her car was left behind, leading police to believe she walked away with only her keys and possibly her driver’s license.
Dashboard camera video later showed someone matching her description walking alone northbound on Wildhorse Parkway a few blocks from her home.
Camila, who lived with her mother and attended classes at Northwest Vista College, was known to take morning walks but usually brought her phone, which was found turned off on her bed.
Rosario Olmos recalled waking to find her daughter gone.
“I called her cell phone, but the cell phone was there on the bed and it was turned off,” she told KENS 5.
“I put it to charge and went out to look for her. I thought I would find her like other times - walking - and we would come home together.”
As the search stretched on, friends, volunteers and extended family from California and Mexico joined efforts around nearby neighborhoods, vacant lots and creeks.
“Giving up is not an option,” Rosario told the Daily Mail before the discovery.
Following the news, family and friends were seen sobbing inside the family home.
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