LYTLE, Texas – A woman found dead along a rural road in Southwest Bexar County Tuesday morning may have died somewhere else before her body was dumped there.
The woman was discovered around 6 a.m. along Benton City Road near Interstate 35 after utility workers from the City of Von Ormy arrived in the area to begin work.
One of the city workers saw what he believed to be a body on the side of the road. He tried to get that person’s attention, wasn’t sure if it was a body or an actual person just laying on the side of the roadway,” Salazar said. “At any rate, he did not have a response, and so he called 911.
Von Ormy police and Bexar County sheriff’s deputies responded and confirmed the woman was dead.
Investigators believe she was between 20 and 30 years old, about 5 feet tall and weighed between 125 and 135 pounds. Salazar said she appeared to be Hispanic.
Her identity has not been determined.
Investigators believe woman may have died elsewhere
Salazar said investigators did not initially see any obvious injuries on the woman’s body and do not believe she was hit by a vehicle.
The woman was found face down, and investigators were waiting for the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office before disturbing the area around her body.
We just don’t believe that that’s the case. We believe that she may have died elsewhere and was dumped here,” Salazar said. “She was found face down, and so right now we haven’t really messed with any of the evidence directly surrounding the body. We’re waiting for the medical examiner to arrive, and of course they’ll be doing everything that they need to do, tox screening, all of those sorts of things.
Salazar stressed that investigators are still in the early stages and several possibilities are being considered.
“At this point, there’s several theories that could exist. We don’t believe she was struck by a car,” Salazar said. “It is a distinct possibility that she may have been a poisoning victim that died elsewhere and was dumped here. It’s a possibility that she could be an undocumented person that was dumped here. Quite frequently, this is what we consider to be a corridor, and we receive pretty frequently calls out here for bodies that are dumped as a result of smuggling efforts. At this point, it’s too early for us to give any sort of definitive theory. But those are some of the theories that we have working.”
Salazar said investigators do not believe the woman’s body had been there for very long, possibly only a few hours before she was discovered.
Deputies searching for video, information
Investigators are checking the woman’s description against active missing-person cases and searching the surrounding area for evidence.
Deputies also plan to review security cameras in the area and are asking anyone who may have surveillance video from between midnight and 6 a.m. Tuesday to contact investigators.
“At this point, we don’t have an identification on this person, and we again don’t have any outward signs of trauma, and so we are asking anybody with information on who this person might be to give us a call, (210) 335-6000,” Salazar said.
The medical examiner will work to determine how the woman died. Salazar said toxicology testing could become important if investigators determine she died from an overdose or poisoning.
“A lot of it’s going to hinge on when the medical examiner gets here and then their process,” Salazar said.
The investigation temporarily affected traffic in the area. Salazar said northbound I-35 experienced backups as drivers slowed down to look at the scene.