Body Found During Search for Missing Teen Camila Mendoza Olmos, Bexar County Sheriff Confirms

Discovery Ends Five-Day Search

Helicopter blades fell silent over the chaparral-lined creek beds east of San Antonio late Tuesday, shortly after Bexar County deputies confirmed a body had been recovered in the ongoing search for 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos.

What We Know So Far

• Mendoza Olmos vanished after clocking out of her evening shift at a West Side grocery on May 7.
• Surveillance footage captured her silver Honda Civic heading east on Loop 1604; phone data placed the device near O’Connor Road later that night.
• An extensive ground, air, and water search began May 9, involving more than 80 volunteers and cadaver dogs.
• On Tuesday, a volunteer on horseback spotted bright fabric caught in a tangle of cedar branches along Escondido Creek; the discovery led deputies to the remains.

Family’s Anguish

“Camila is the light of our home,” her older sister, Valeria Olmos, said before Tuesday’s developments. “We just want her back, safe.”

Investigation Shifts to Cause of Death

While authorities have not officially identified the body, Sheriff Javier Salazar said preliminary evidence “points toward a tragic outcome in the search for Camila.”

The medical examiner will determine both identity and cause of death, he said. No suspects have been named, but homicide detectives are treating the case as “suspicious.”

Community Rallied Online

Family members launched social-media appeals using the hashtag #FindCamila, amassing more than 1.2 million views on TikTok and generating tips that helped narrow search grids.

‘We Won’t Stop’

Volunteer organizer Maria Alvarez vowed the community will keep pressuring for answers. “Camila is not just a headline. She is our neighbor, our co-worker, our daughter.”

Next Steps

The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information—even minor details—to contact Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP. A candlelight vigil is planned for Friday evening at Lady Bird Johnson Park, where friends will release paper lanterns in Camila’s favorite color, lavender.