Texas cops confirmed that human remains discovered in a field are those of missing teen Camila Mendoza Olmos – who died by suicide near her home, the sheriff said Wednesday.
The heartbreaking news follows Tuesday’s grim discovery of a body that appeared to have been in the field for five or six days, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
The head of Texas EquuSearch, which was involved in looking for Olmos, told the San Antonio Express-News that the medical examiner told Olmos’ family on Tuesday that her body had been identified.
Olmos’ body was found just 100 yards away from her home in Bexar County. The medical examiner ruled she died by suicide and shot herself in the head.
Salazar said that authorities found a firearm near Olmos’ body.
A 9mm pistol belonging to one of her relatives was reported missing around the time of her disappearance, but it’s unclear if the firearm recovered at the scene is a match.
Salazar revealed authorities discovered information leading them to believe the teen had been exhibiting signs of undiagnosed depression and thoughts of suicide after struggling with school, work and a relationship that had recently ended.
He said Olmos “was a young person going through a very tough time in her life.”
Video footage of Olmos, who had hoped to become an orthodontist, showed her wearing pajama shorts and a black hoodie, rummaging through her car on Christmas Eve, the day she vanished.
She only had her car keys and license with her, but not her cell phone, which was found on her bed, family members told police.
Here’s the latest on missing Texas teen, Camila Mendoza Olmos
Her mother, Rosario, woke up that day unable to locate her daughter, who typically took early morning walks.
Her local community rallied behind the search effort, including her ex-boyfriend, Nathan Gonzales, who described Olmos as an exceptionally “loving person” in an interview with Fox San Antonio.
“So that’s why we’re all out here to support her family and be there for them, because not only do they need us right now. But they need the Lord Jesus to be with her and protect Cami because we know with the Lord that she’s gonna come back home,” he said.
As the search stretched on, no leads materialized, and cops were considering everything from kidnapping to human trafficking, warning Olmos could be in “imminent danger.”
The tireless search, in which the FBI and Department of Homeland Security joined local cops, even extended into Mexico as state authorities feared she may have been taken across the border.
Salazar also confirmed that Olmos, a Mexican national, was not detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, noting that she is a US citizen.
Her childhood best friend, Camila Estrella, said the two spoke on the phone the day before she went missing about going dress shopping for an outfit for a family event with Estrella’s boyfriend.
“She said, ‘Bye Cami, I love you,’” Estrella recalled. “She was someone who was just full of love.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
