The desperate search for a missing 19-year-old Texas woman has entered a critical phase after a neighbour's surveillance camera captured her last known movements on Christmas Eve morning.
Last Sighting on Surveillance Footage
Camila Mendoza Olmos was last seen at 6.58am on Wednesday, 24 December, after leaving her home in northwest Bexar County, a region on the outskirts of San Antonio. Authorities have long flagged this area as a corridor for human trafficking, adding urgency to the investigation.
Video obtained by local news station KENS shows an individual believed to be Mendoza Olmos standing near her vehicle with its lights on. Investigators stated she appeared to be searching inside the car for an unidentified item. Moments later, the footage ends. Her car remained parked at the home, leading officials to conclude she left the area on foot.
A Routine Broken, A Family's Anguish
Loved ones confirmed the teen typically took a morning walk but always carried her mobile phone. This established routine made her sudden disappearance without it profoundly alarming. Authorities believe the only items she had with her were her car keys and possibly her driver's licence. Her phone was found turned off and left in her bedroom.
Her mother, Rosario Olmos, told KENS they had been sleeping in the same bed early that morning when she felt her daughter get up. About 90 minutes later, she woke to find Camila gone. "I called her cell phone, but the cell phone was there on the bed and it was turned off," Olmos said. "I put it to charge and went out to look for her. I thought I would find her like other times, walking, and we would come home together."
After checking with the teen's boyfriend and father, who both said they had not seen her, Olmos contacted the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
Desperate Search and Public Pleas
A CLEAR Alert, Texas's system for locating missing and endangered adults, has been issued. Family and friends spent Christmas Day searching nearby areas but found no trace of the 19-year-old.
Camila Mendoza Olmos is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall and approximately 110 pounds. She was last seen wearing a baby blue and black hoodie, baby blue pyjama bottoms, and white shoes.
Her aunt, Nancy Olmos, issued an emotional online plea, noting her niece's deep religious faith after a recent baptism. "As a sister in Christ, I am humbly asking for one special gift this year," she wrote. "Please help us by sharing these posts and, most importantly, by lifting Camila up in your prayers."
While authorities have not shared evidence of foul play, the troubling circumstances—the abandoned phone, the sudden departure on foot, and the location in a known trafficking zone—have fuelled intense concern for her safety as the search continues.
