The search in Texas for a missing, pregnant 18-year-old who did not show up at the hospital to induce labor has ended after two bodies, believed to be her and her boyfriend, were found inside a car Tuesday.
While police have not confirmed the identities, family members confirmed to local Texas outlet KSAT that Savannah Soto, 18, was found dead in her car along with an adult man, who is believed to be Matthew Guerra, 22, who was Soto's boyfriend.
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San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Tuesday during a media conference that it is a "very, very perplexing crime scene." Though police believe the bodies belong to the missing teenager and her boyfriend, McManus said he would not confirm their names until the medical examiner can determine their identities and cause of death.
"Detectives right now are looking at this as a possible murder, but we don’t know for sure," McManus said at the conference via CNN.
Here is what is known about the case and Soto's disappearance.
When did Soto disappear?
The Leon Valley Police Department issued an alert for Soto on Friday, stating she was last seen in the 6000 block of Grissom Road in Leon Valley.
Soto was nine months pregnant and passed her delivery date when she missed an "essential medical appointment," and her family reported her missing, the department said in a press release.
Leon Valley police told KSAT they received a welfare check from Soto's family on Friday night. Investigators went to Soto's home and did not see any signs of forced entry, and police told Soto's family that there was no cause for concern at the time.
The Texas Department of Safety issued a CLEAR Alert for Soto at about 4 p.m. on Monday. The alert stated that Soto was last seen in a 2013 Gray Kia Optima with a temporary license plate number of 4289D57. An updated alert added another license plate number of TRC9447. The CLEAR Alert continued until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Bodies assumed to be Soto and Guerra found
Family members told the local outlet that Soto and Guerra's bodies were found in the 5900 block of Danny Kaye, about three miles away from her apartment on Grissom Road, where Soto was last seen. The bodies were discovered in the Kia Optima listed in the CLEAR Alert.
Police said on Wednesday morning that the pregnant woman and the man each sustained a "gunshot wound," referring to both as victims. A statement from the police also mentioned that an unborn child was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the time of the news conference on Tuesday, McManus said investigators had not moved the bodies and that he was unsure if a weapon was found in the car. The bodies were believed to have been in the car for three or four days.
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Joanie Wasil, Soto's sister-in-law, told KSAT that she was alerted to the Optima's location by someone via Facebook, and she called police as she drove to the scene with her family. Wasil said she saw Soto and Guerra dead in the vehicle and believed they had been shot. She said she saw Soto in the front passenger seat and Guerra in the back of the vehicle. Police have not confirmed this.
“Chief William McManus has issued a statement announcing they believe the body of missing Savannah Soto has been found,” the Leon Valley Police Department said in a release. San Antonio police “will be taking over the investigation as the crime scene is located within the City of San Antonio.”