Bexar County sheriff says clothing in the clip matches the 19-year-old’s description as the multi-agency search continues.
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Texas authorities released dashboard camera video this week that they believe shows Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, walking alone along a neighborhood road around 7 a.m. on Dec. 24 in northwest Bexar County, minutes after she left her family’s home.
The footage is the clearest public lead since Mendoza Olmos disappeared on Christmas Eve. Sheriff Javier Salazar said investigators cannot confirm with certainty that the pedestrian is Mendoza Olmos, but the person’s clothing matches what she was last seen wearing. The case has drawn assistance from federal and local partners and mobilized hundreds of volunteers. Officials called the video a crucial timeline marker as they map sightings, collect home surveillance clips and search greenbelts near the Wildhorse subdivision. The sheriff said the teen is considered in imminent danger while detectives examine scenarios ranging from a voluntary walkaway to foul play.
Deputies said Mendoza Olmos was last seen at about 6:58 a.m. Dec. 24 near her residence off Caspian Spring in the Wildhorse area. A home camera captured her at a vehicle before she left on foot without her phone. On Dec. 28, investigators obtained dashcam video from a driver traveling on Wildhorse Parkway; the clip shows a solitary figure in the roadway corridor just after 7 a.m. The sheriff previewed the video at a Monday briefing and asked residents to check doorbell and security cameras from 6–8 a.m. that morning. “We’re stepping up operations,” Salazar said, urging people not to disturb potential evidence and to call deputies with anything that might help sequence her route.
Authorities described Mendoza Olmos as about 5-foot-4 and 110 pounds. She was last seen in light blue bottoms, a dark top and white shoes, consistent with what appears in the new clip, officials said. She is a student at Northwest Vista College and is known to walk in the neighborhood. Detectives said she left her vehicle behind and appears to have taken only a key and possibly her driver’s license; her phone remained at home. The sheriff said the teen is not in immigration custody. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and local agencies are assisting, while the Youth Peace and Justice Foundation announced a $1,000 reward for information. Investigators emphasized that some details remain unknown, including her intended destination and whether anyone approached her on foot or in a vehicle.
In recent days, deputies and trained volunteers have searched drainage areas, easements and fields radiating from Wildhorse Parkway, using drones and grid teams while canvassing homes along likely paths. A volunteer hub was set up at the Wildhorse HOA Sports Park. The sheriff acknowledged Mendoza Olmos has struggled with depression, but he stressed that detectives are keeping every possibility on the table as they work the case. No conclusive physical evidence has been recovered, officials said, and no specific suspect or vehicle has been identified. Residents have passed along numerous tips and clips, which analysts are comparing against the dashcam’s timestamp to refine the window when she was last seen.
Christmas week timing has complicated the search, officials noted, because many families traveled or paused routine security recording. Detectives have retraced the hours before Mendoza Olmos left home, interviewing relatives and friends who said her disappearance is out of character. She had made plans earlier in the week and was active in her church, relatives told deputies. The Wildhorse subdivision, a fast-growing area of northwest Bexar County, includes miles of sidewalks, pocket parks and drainage channels bordered by fences and brushy easements, features that can hide evidence and slow line searches. Investigators said they are logging previous calls for service in the area and checking nearby commercial cameras that may retain footage from that morning.
Salazar said the case remains a missing-person investigation. No criminal charges have been filed. The sheriff’s office scheduled additional neighborhood canvasses and coordinated with federal partners to review license plate reader data and reports from the region. Detectives are also seeking any dashcam footage from commuters who were on Wildhorse Parkway, Shaenfield Road and nearby connectors between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. Dec. 24. Officials said further briefings will be announced if the dashcam clip yields verified sightings or if search teams find material evidence that requires lab testing. Any forensic results would be processed through standard state and federal databases.
As the search widened Monday, neighbors set out water and flashlights for volunteers and taped flyers to mailbox clusters and trailheads. A woman walking her dog near the HOA park said the holiday timing brought out “more people looking than I’ve ever seen for a missing person,” while another resident called the dashcam clip “the first real thing to go on.” At the briefing, a family representative thanked volunteers and asked people to keep sharing home camera clips with deputies. “Every minute, every block matters,” the representative said. The sheriff said he understands the community’s anxiety but asked residents to avoid spreading rumors while detectives verify leads.
As of Monday evening, investigators said they have not located Mendoza Olmos and are prioritizing new camera footage from Dec. 24 to align with the dashcam timestamp. Officials said the next update will come after teams finish today’s canvass and review overnight submissions.
Author note: Last updated December 29, 2025.