Recently released dashcam footage may show Camila Mendoza Olmos, a missing 19-year-old from Texas, on the night she vanished, according to the sheriff’s office overseeing the case.
The video depicts someone who looks like Olmos walking near a house around 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve, and it was posted by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
“If you’re in that area or have any dashcam or home security footage that might include Camila, please reach out to us immediately,” the department mentioned in a Facebook update.
A driver submitted a brief video recorded near her home in San Antonio to the police.
According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, “The driver thought he might have seen a person matching her description during his morning drive the other day,” as he shared with NewsNation’s CUOMO.
Olmos’ mother reported that she disappeared early on December 24 after a usual walk in her neighborhood.
Authorities noted that she was last spotted wearing a black North Face sweater with blue accents, light blue pajama shorts, and white shoes.
During his talk with CUOMO, Sheriff Salazar indicated that police have not dismissed the possibility of kidnapping or human trafficking at this stage, but they’re also examining the chance that she chose to leave on her own.
“It’s possible she just wanted some time to think. There are worries about self-harm, so that might be a factor… She could either be in danger or have voluntarily walked away,” he commented.
Salazar stated, “Right now, we are keeping all options open until we get strong evidence that points us one way or another.”
Prior to the latest dashcam footage, surveillance video showed Olmos around 7 a.m., appearing to search for something in her car before leaving on foot.
Investigators mentioned that she had only brought her car keys and possibly her driver’s license, leaving her cell phone behind on her bed.
She had intended to go shopping with her best friend on the day she went missing.
Salazar also highlighted the verification from authorities in Nuevo León, a northeastern state in Mexico, as the search expanded beyond U.S. borders.
Officials have affirmed that Olmos, a U.S. citizen, is not in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The search effort has grown to include various agencies, such as the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, as well as local and state law enforcement.
Her ex-boyfriend, Nathan Gonzalez, is also participating in the search and expressed to local reporters the “nightmare” the family is currently enduring.
