Authorities searching for missing Texas teenager Camila Mendoza Olmos discovered a body Tuesday in a field near her home, nearly a week after the 19-year-old vanished on Christmas Eve. Officials cautioned that the medical examiner has not yet confirmed the identity of the remains.
Speaking at a late Tuesday press conference, Javier Salazar said sheriff’s deputies and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents located the body during a renewed search of the area. The field had been examined previously, but investigators decided to search it again because dense brush may have obscured earlier efforts.
A gun was also recovered near the body. Salazar said authorities had been looking for a missing firearm belonging to one of Olmos’s relatives, though it is still unclear whether the weapon found at the scene is the same one. The sheriff emphasized that investigators are awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner before drawing conclusions.
Salazar said evidence gathered during the investigation suggests Olmos had been struggling emotionally in the days before she disappeared. Authorities uncovered information indicating she may have been experiencing suicidal ideations and signs of depression.
“It appeared she was a young person going through a very tough time in her life,” Salazar said. According to the sheriff, Olmos had been having a “tough time” balancing school and work, and was also dealing with the end of a recent relationship. Investigators believe these pressures may have contributed to her state of mind.
The sheriff said he expects the medical examiner’s office to identify the remains and determine the cause and manner of death within the next day or two. “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 was last seen early on the morning of Dec. 24, after leaving her home for one of her regular walks around the neighborhood, according to her mother. On Monday, authorities released dashcam footage showing a person resembling Olmos walking near her home around 7 a.m. that morning.
Surveillance video from earlier that same morning showed Olmos searching her car before leaving on foot. Investigators said she appeared to have only her car keys and possibly her driver’s license with her. Her cellphone was later found on her bed, left behind at home.
As the community waits for official identification, Salazar urged people to look out for one another and take emotional struggles seriously. “Check on people,” he said. “Don’t take anything for granted… If you’re going through a crisis yourself, reach out and get help.”
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