The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the body found as the missing 19-year-old, Camila Mendoza Olmos, who was found in a field near her home. They confirmed her cause of death was suicide, and officials announced the devastating news on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, a week after she went missing.
Missing Teen Found
Olmos was last seen walking out of her San Antonio home the morning of Christmas Eve. Video footage captured her rummaging through her car for an unknown item before leaving without her phone. Her family was not too concerned at first since she was known for taking daily walks. Olmos’ mother, Nancy, said she became worried when she realized her daughter had not returned home and her phone was lying on their bedside table. Her family prayed for her safe return, and many flew from across the country to search for her.
A driver’s dash camera captured Olmos walking alone along the side of a road, which helped authorities identify the direction she was walking in. Unfortunately, her body was found only 100 yards from her home. It took a “small army” of FBI agents and a follow-up search of the area before they were able to locate Olmos, according to the Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
The medical examiner determined Olmos’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. Salazar said authorities were aware that Olmos had previous “suicidal ideations” and battled with depression, but they were insistent on exploring all avenues in her disappearance. “We’ve got to consider all possibilities, from disappearing willfully, to the possibility of self-harm, to somebody may have taken her,” Salazar said.
Tree Memorial
Olmos’ memory will be preserved, and her life will be honored with a memorial tree in Davy Crockett National Forest in Texas. The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation was formed after the Uvalde school shooting in 2022 and became a violence prevention and student advocacy group. They announced on New Year’s Day that Olmos will be permanently recognized in the Trees for Peace Youth Gun Violence Memorial. This will be the first memorial tree dedicated to victims of gun-related suicides, which coincides with the foundation’s initiative to commemorate young lives lost to interpersonal gun violence.
“Camila’s death is a heartbreaking reminder that the epidemic of gun violence has many faces, including the silent struggle of mental health crises,” said the foundation’s founder, Daniel Chapin. “By including Camila in our national memorial, we are acknowledging that every life lost to a firearm—regardless of the circumstances—is a tragedy that demands our attention and our action.”
Suicide Awareness & Prevention
Mental health is a serious illness that deserves more recognition. The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) encourages starting a conversation and making a difference. “With one conversation, asking someone how they’re really doing — and being ready to truly listen — can save lives. Because here’s what we know: No one has to face this alone. Help exists. Healing is possible. And all it can take is for one person to start a conversation,” their site reads.
Every individual should be aware of the warning signs and be prepared should a crisis need to be averted. Suicidal thoughts among young adults and teens are quite common, and there are also high-risk groups. Historically, those at risk of suicide are people within disadvantaged communities, including those discriminated against, those with social or environmental stressors, and those with a lack of access to care resources.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also contact the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
