The haunting final words of a missing Texas teenager to her best friend have been revealed, as a desperate search continues after she vanished on Christmas Eve from an area known as a human trafficking corridor.
'I Love You': The Final Phone Call
Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, spoke to her childhood best friend, Camila Estrella, the day before she disappeared. During that phone call, the pair made plans to go dress shopping for a family event hosted by Olmos's boyfriend. As they ended their conversation, Olmos's parting words were, 'Bye Cami, I love you.'
Estrella described her friend as 'someone that was just full of love' and said they spoke almost every day. 'This is so random, we never expected this,' she told the New York Post, expressing the family's shock and confusion.
The Mysterious Morning Disappearance
Olmos was last captured on a neighbour's surveillance camera at 6:58am on Wednesday, 24 December, leaving her home in a San Antonio suburb. The footage, obtained by local station KENS, shows her standing near her vehicle, wearing only baby blue pajama shorts, a matching hoodie, and white shoes.
Investigators said she appeared to search inside the car for an item before the footage, from a motion-activated camera, ends. Crucially, her car remained parked at home, leading authorities to believe she left the area on foot. She has not been seen since.
The mystery deepened when her mother, Rosario Olmos, discovered the teenager's mobile phone on a bed in their home around three hours after she was last seen. The device had no battery. The family stated that while Olmos often took morning walks, she always took her phone with her, making this detail highly unusual.
'It's just not Cami,' her aunt, Nancy Olmos, insisted. 'We knew something happened.' Another close friend, Isabela, echoed this, calling the disappearance 'very out of the norm' and noting Olmos was always meticulous about keeping her phone charged.
Desperate Search in a Known Trafficking Hotspot
The location of her disappearance, in northwest Bexar County, is known by authorities as a human-trafficking corridor, adding grave urgency to the search. Officials have classified Olmos, who is 5ft 4in tall and weighs approximately 110 pounds, as a 'possibly endangered' missing person.
Police have deployed scent-tracking dogs and family members combed the area on Christmas Day, but no trace of the Northwest Vista Community College student has been found. The lack of clues from the limited surveillance footage has left investigators and loved ones with little to pursue.
'We have nothing to trace her with. We have nothing,' a distraught Estrella told 4News, fearing the investigation could stall.
Her mother, Rosario Olmos, recounted waking to find her daughter gone. 'I called her cell phone, but the cell phone was there on the bed, and it was turned off,' she said. 'I only ask God to please bring her back home. Bring her back to me.'
In an emotional online plea, aunt Nancy Olmos highlighted her niece's recent baptism and deep faith, asking the public for prayers and shares during the holiday season. 'As a sister in Christ, I am humbly asking for one special gift this year... please help us by sharing these posts and, most importantly, by lifting Camila up in your prayers,' she wrote.
Authorities have not shared evidence of foul play, but the troubling circumstances—the abandoned phone, the disappearance on foot, and the dangerous reputation of the area—have fuelled intense concern for the young woman's safety.
