Texas teenager who went missing outside her home on Christmas Eve could have been trafficked abroad, sheriff warns
A Texas teenager who vanished from her home on Christmas Eve and has been missing ever since could be in “imminent danger,” authorities have warned, following fears she may have been trafficked abroad.
Camila Mendoza Olmos was last seen just before 7 a.m. Wednesday outside her home, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say she appeared to be heading out for what her family believed was just a routine walk.
“Camila’s mother stated that Camila normally goes for a morning walk; however, she became concerned when Camila did not return within a reasonable period of time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said detectives have not ruled out any scenario in the teen’s sudden disappearance, including kidnapping or human trafficking.
“We definitely don’t want to miss anything,” Salazar told ABC News. “The ground search is somewhat limited to a couple of square miles. We’re also not ruling out that this case may take us outside the borders of the continental United States.”
He also confirmed that Mendoza Olmos was not arrested by ICE agents, stating that she is a U.S. citizen, and that the Department of Homeland Security was monitoring border crossings for signs of her.
The Independent has contacted the Bexar County Sheriff for further information.
While the teenager had reportedly gone through a recent break up, authorities said it was mutual and they do not believe any “nefarious” circumstances were involved, adding that those close to the teenager were cooperating.
Surveillance video showed Mendoza Olmos wearing baby blue pajama shorts, a black hoodie and white shoes as she rummaged through her car before the footage cut off, officials said.
Her vehicle was left at the home, and investigators believe she walked away carrying only her car keys and possibly her driver’s license.
Salazar said that the fact Mendoza Olmos had left her belongings at home before disappearing was “highly unusual,” adding that she left an active lifestyle. “That’s why we’re working basically around the clock on this case,” he said.
The morning she disappeared, the teenager had been sleeping in the same bed as her mother, Rosario Olmos. She told KENS5 that she felt her daughter get up but stayed in bed for about 90 minutes before checking on her.
Her mother later searched the neighborhood, believing she would spot her daughter on her usual route, but she was nowhere to be found. After contacting the teenager’s current boyfriend and father, both of whom said they had not seen or heard from her, she filed a missing persons report.
Family and friends spent Christmas Day searching areas near the home but found no sign of her. “I only ask God to please bring her back home,” her mother told KENS5. “Bring her back to me.”
