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Camila Mendoza Olmos update: Body found in search for Texas teen who disappeared on Christmas Eve
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has announced that a body has been found while searching for Camila Mendoza Olmos, a Texas teen who disappeared from her home.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has announced that a body has been found in search for a Texas teenager who mysteriously disappeared from her home early Christmas Eve morning. 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos went missing after her loved ones thought she went for her regular walk.
Body found in a field
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a media briefing held early Tuesday, December 30, that they discovered a body in a field between 4:40 and 4:45 pm. However, he added that it is too early to confirm if the remains belong to Camila, kxxv.com reported.
"At this point it's too early to tell if the body that we've found is that of Camila but at this point we don't suspect foul play," Salazar said.
Salazar added that one of the possibilities authorities are working on is potential self-harm by Camila. "At this point there are some indicators that the body that we found may be as a result of that," said the sheriff.
Read More | Camila Mendoza Olmos disappearance: 5 key things to know as search for Texas teen continues
"During the course of the investigation, we developed some information that there may have been some suicidal ideations on Camila's part before, some signs of depression undiagnosed, as far as we can tell," explained Sheriff Salazar.
"But from what's being described to us, it sounds like it was a young person going through a very tough time in their life and going, sorry, going through some emotional issues, and there were some indicators of suicidal ideation as well,” he added.
Salazar said that a medical examiner is set to determine the official cause and manner of death. He added that he hopes the remains will be identified “in the next day or two," adding, according to the New York Post, “We hope we can expedite that process to be able to get the community answers that everybody’s been waiting for."
A firearm was found near the body, Salazar said, adding that a firearm was missing from a family member of Camila. However, no checks or testing have been run yet on the firearm that was found to determine if it is the one that belongs to the family member.
The field where the body was found is a few hundred yards away from Mendoza Olmos' house. The discovery was made at the site of Burning Bush Landscaping Company near the corner of Bent Cyn and FM 1560, according to cbs4local.
"This afternoon we actually made a conscious decision to go back to an area that had already been checked, but due to tall grass we felt that it, that there would be a benefit to checking the area once again," Salazar said.
The body was found just ten minutes into that search, said Salazar.
Texas DPS has announced that the Clear Alert issued for Camila has been discontinued.
Camila Mendoza Olmos’ disappearance
Camila was last seen outside her San Antonio home just before 7 am on Wednesday, December 24, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office previously said. She was last seen wearing baby blue pajama shorts, a black hoodie and white shoes.
An unidentified person believed to be Camila was captured on security camera searching her vehicle for an unidentified item the day she vanished, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators believe she left her house on foot, as her car remained there. She only took her car keys and possibly her driver's license with her.
Camila’s last known location was the 11000 block of Caspian Spring in northwest Bexar County, according to the sheriff's office.
Various agencies were involved in the search for Camila, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, which was monitoring border crossings and international travel.
