The body of Camila Mendoza Olmos, a 19-year-old from Bexar County, Texas, who disappeared on Christmas Eve, has been found and identified, local authorities confirmed Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the body was discovered Tuesday in a field approximately 100 yards from her home at the Burnin Bush landscaping company in the San Antonio area. The medical examiner determined the death was a suicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head. A firearm was located at the scene where the body was found.
Mendoza Olmos left her home around 7 a.m. on Dec. 24 without her cellphone, according to investigators. She was seen on a neighbor’s security camera searching inside her vehicle before leaving the area on foot. Her vehicle remained at home.
The disappearance prompted an extensive search involving the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. The area where the body was ultimately discovered had been previously searched, but the body was obscured by tall grass, according to authorities.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said investigators had been working under multiple possibilities regarding the teenager’s disappearance, including what he described as the “fear of self-harm.” Authorities were aware that Mendoza Olmos had a history of suicidal ideation and signs of depression. She had also recently experienced a breakup, though Salazar indicated the split was mutual and that no foul play was suspected in her disappearance.
“From what’s being described to us, it sounds like it was a young person going through a very tough time in their life,” Salazar said.
A firearm belonging to a family member of Mendoza Olmos has been missing, according to Sheriff Salazar. As of the time authorities discussed the case publicly, they had not yet determined whether the missing firearm matched the one observed at the scene.
The teenager’s mother, Rosario Olmos, reported her daughter missing on Christmas Eve after she failed to return from what the family believed was a morning walk. Rosario Olmos told the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office that her daughter regularly took morning walks and that she became concerned when Camila did not return within a reasonable period of time.
During the investigation, authorities released dashcam video captured by someone driving to work on the morning of the disappearance. The video showed a woman walking by herself near the area. At the time of its release, investigators indicated it remained unclear whether the person in the footage was Mendoza Olmos.
The surveillance footage from the neighbor’s security camera provided crucial information about the teenager’s movements that morning. The video showed an individual believed to be Mendoza Olmos searching inside her vehicle for an unidentified item before the footage ended. Investigators determined she left the area based on the evidence that her car remained at the family home.
Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the search for the missing teenager. Sheriff Salazar had previously stated that deputies and volunteers were searching around the clock, as they believed Mendoza Olmos was in imminent danger. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security assisted with the investigation alongside local authorities.
Mental health experts note that suicide among young adults remains a serious public health concern. According to mental health professionals, warning signs can include significant mood changes, withdrawal from activities, expressions of hopelessness, and talking about self-harm. Depression in young adults can manifest differently than in other age groups, sometimes appearing as irritability or anger rather than sadness.
Those close to Mendoza Olmos cooperated with the investigation throughout the search. The teenager’s father, Alfonso Mendoza, and her brother, Carlos, were among the family members who participated in the search efforts and provided information to authorities.
Mendoza Olmos was born in Ontario, California, and maintained close family ties to Southern California despite living in the San Antonio area. Her family released a statement through social media following the confirmation of her death, expressing gratitude for the community support they received during the search.
“We want to give a humble and heartfelt thank you to all the news reporters, churches, friends, families, and communities for your support and prayers,” the family stated. “Our beloved Camila Mendoza Olmos is now with the Good Lord. We kindly ask that you please respect our pain and, most importantly, keep my cousin Rosario — Camila’s mom — and my nephew Carlos — Camila’s brother — in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
The discovery of the body brought closure to a week-long search that had mobilized significant resources and community attention in the San Antonio area. The case underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement in missing person cases where multiple scenarios must be considered simultaneously, from voluntary disappearance to potential harm by others to self-harm.
Search and rescue operations in areas with dense vegetation present particular challenges for investigators. The tall grass that initially obscured the body in this case demonstrates how environmental factors can complicate recovery efforts, even when search teams are examining areas relatively close to a person’s last known location. This case prompted investigators to conduct secondary searches of previously examined locations, a practice that proved crucial in ultimately locating Mendoza Olmos.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office continues to work with the medical examiner’s office to complete all aspects of the investigation. While the manner of death has been determined, authorities indicated that some details, including the definitive identification of the firearm used, remained under investigation as of Wednesday.
