Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Family members of Camila Mendoza Olmos have spoken following the announcement by police in Bexar County, Texas, that a body discovered has been identified as the missing teenager.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office made it known on New Year’s Eve that the body found on December 30 was Olmos, who had been missing since Christmas Eve after reportedly going out for a walk.
Authorities discovered Olmos’ body just a few hundred yards from her residence, in a field of tall grass. They decided to search the area again after an initial search yielded no results.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar stated that deputies from the Sheriff’s Office, alongside FBI agents, decided to revisit the field due to the ‘high brush.’ During this second search, they located Olmos’ body with a firearm situated nearby.
Following the examination, the medical examiner concluded that Olmos had died by suicide.
On December 31, the same day Olmos’ body was identified, a woman who identified herself as a cousin of Olmos’ mother expressed her feelings on Facebook, paying tribute to the teenager.
Nancy Olmos posted: “In the name of the Olmos family, we want to give a humble and heartfelt thank you to all the news reporters, police detectives, FBI, churches, friends, family, and many other communities for your support and prayers.
“Our beloved Camila Mendoza Olmos is now with the Good Lord.”
In light of the heartbreaking news, Nancy made a poignant request to the public: “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. Thank you, and God bless you all.”
During updates on the case, Salazar mentioned that a firearm owned by a family member of Olmos was reported missing. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether this missing weapon was the same as the one recovered at the scene.
The discovery of Olmos’ body occurred just hours after law enforcement released dash cam footage from a motorist en route to work on Christmas Eve, capturing an image of a woman walking alone.
Salazar admitted that while he couldn’t be entirely sure if the footage depicted Olmos, the attire of the woman in the video matched the description of the missing teen, possibly making it the last known recording of her alive.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.