19-Year-Old Camila Mendoza Olmos Missing Since Christmas Eve; Sheriff Says She May Be in "Imminent Danger"

Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, has been missing since the morning of Dec. 24 after she was last seen leaving her family home in northwest Bexar County, Texas. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told ABC News that investigators have information suggesting she may be in "imminent danger," and officials are not ruling out kidnapping or human trafficking.

According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Camila was last seen at about 6:58 a.m. on Dec. 24 leaving the family residence on the 11000 block of Caspian Spring. Multiple agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, have joined the search. DHS is monitoring possible border crossings and international travel as part of the inquiry.

What Authorities Say

Sheriff Javier Salazar emphasized that investigators are keeping all possibilities open. "We definitely don't want to miss anything," he told ABC News, noting that the ground search has been limited to a few square miles and that the case could extend beyond the continental United States.

Investigators believe Camila left the home on foot. Officials say her car remained at the residence and her cellphone was found on the bed — a detail they describe as "highly unusual" and one of the reasons the case is being treated with heightened urgency.

Family Account

Camila's mother, Rosario, told KENS that she and Camila were sleeping in the same room on Christmas Eve morning and felt Camila get up. Rosario said she later woke about 90 minutes later and discovered her daughter gone while Camila's car remained parked and her phone was left charging on the bed.

Rosario said she initially expected to find Camila walking nearby as she often took morning walks. After attempts to contact Camila failed, the family reached out to the teen's boyfriend and father; neither had seen her, and law enforcement was notified.

Sheriff Salazar also noted Camila recently had a "mutual" breakup, but authorities do not currently suspect anything nefarious related to that relationship. He confirmed to ABC News that Camila is a U.S. citizen and that she was not detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Family members are cooperating fully with investigators.

How You Can Help

Police are asking anyone with information about Camila Mendoza Olmos’s whereabouts to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at (210) 335-6000 or email the department’s missing persons unit at missingpersons@bexar.org. Law enforcement says they are working around the clock and following all leads with federal partners.