Pregnant 18-year-old who never showed for doctor's appointment believed dead
A pregnant 18-year-old Texas woman who went missing over the weekend is believed to have been found dead along with her boyfriend.
Savanah Soto was last seen on Friday in Leon Valley, a city about 10 miles from downtown San Antonio. Soto, who was nine months pregnant, was supposed to be induced the day she went missing, but failed to show up at the hospital, according to her family.
At a news conference late Tuesday, San Antonio police Chief Chief William McManus said that investigators believe that two bodies found in a car are that of Soto and her boyfriend and that "detectives right now are looking at this as a possible murder."
"We don't know for sure," he said, adding that a medical examiner would have to confirm the identity of the bodies. “It’s a very, very perplexing crime scene ... It's a complex scene."
Latest update in Savanah Soto case: 'Perplexing' crime scene in Savanah Soto case leads San Antonio police to launch murder probe
He said he wasn't sure whether there was a weapon in the car and that the bodies are believed to have been there for several days. The car was found just a few miles from Soto's apartment.
A woman could be heard weeping in the background as McManus made the grim announcement.
Who is Savanah Soto?
Soto's mother, Gloria Cordova, said in a Facebook post a couple days before Christmas that her daughter never showed up for her doctor's appointment, that she was with her boyfriend "who is no good," and that she was worried for her safety.
"Prayer for my baby girl," she wrote.
One family member commented on the post: "Dear Lord please protect her and her baby from the evils of this world."
USA TODAY was working Tuesday to try to reach the family. Police have not confirmed who last saw Soto in Leon Valley or whether she was with someone.
Soto was recently pictured looking like a beaming mother-to-be, smiling in a figure-hugging dress with flowers draped over her tummy.
Leon Valley police department's earlier statement
Soto was reported missing family members who were concerned about the young mother since she is pregnant and past her delivery date.
A Clear Alert was issued for Soto by the San Antonio Police Department, the first law enforcement agency the family contacted.
The department had been looking for additional witnesses and information to help them with the investigation.
“Savannah Nicole Soto's well-being is of utmost concern to us," police said before the bodies were found. "We implore the public to assist us in locating Ms. Soto, ensuring her safety, and reuniting her with her family."
What is a Clear Alert?
A Clear Alert, or the state’s Coordinated Law Enforcement Adult Rescue Alert was created in 2019 to help police locate and rescue missing, kidnapped or abducted adults or adults who are in immediate danger of injury or death, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The alert was also designed to help assist law enforcement in locating a potential or potential suspects.
Here is the criteria for the state of Texas:
Is the individual 18 to 64 years of age, whose whereabouts are unknown?
Has a preliminary investigation verified the adult is in imminent danger of bodily injury or death or is the disappearance involuntary such as an abduction or kidnapping?
Is the clear alert request within 72 hours of the individual's disappearance?
Is sufficient information available to disseminate to the public to help locate the individual, a suspect, or the vehicle used in the incident?
This is developing story and will be updated with additional details.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing Texas 18-year-old Savanah Soto believed dead
