Today is Jeanie Chavez’s 34th birthday. But for the second year in a row, Jeanie’s not around to blow out birthday candles or make a birthday wish. Instead, her family has a wish: bring Jeanie home.
For Annie Salcido, today marks another year without her daughter’s laugh. “The loudest, craziest laugh,” Annie told Dateline. “My famous line to her is, ‘Geez, I can’t take you anywhere.’”
Annie had Jeanie when she was 16 years old. By the time Jeanie was a teenager, they were best friends. “We grew up together,” Annie said.
As Jeanie grew into her own life, she kept Annie close. “She knew she could call me and she could share anything with me,” Annie said. That included the hardships.
Jeanie with her daughtersAnnie Salcido
Jeanie struggled with addiction, which left her unable to care for her two daughters, Leah and Charley. In May 2024, her daughters were living with Annie when Jeanie told her she was seeing a new man, Jonathan Perez.
Annie says a man was the last thing Jeanie needed in her life. “‘Right now needs to be focused on you,’” she told her daughter. The two continued to talk often, having conversations about sobriety. “I could pick up that phone at any time and call and check on her,” Annie said.
That summer, it became harder for Annie to get in touch with her daughter. “I started noticing in the month of June, we all kind of lost track of her a little bit,” Annie remembered.
On June 6, 2024, Jeanie went to the hospital after a fight with Perez. She was bruised on her left cheek. Annie says a police report was filed as well.
Perez is currently facing an unrelated weapons charge. It’s unclear when he’ll be back in court. Dateline was able to access Perez’s court records and found he had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a family member, a case unrelated to Jeanie. Dateline reached out to Perez’s attorney regarding Jeanie’s case, but has not yet received a response.
Annie and JeanieAnnie Salcido
By July 2024, Annie says her daughter’s life was out of control. She says Jeanie checked into a detox center in San Antonio on July 13. “In the meantime, I set up an appointment for her to go to Houston to a rehab,” Annie said.
But Jeanie never made it to that rehab facility.
San Antonio Police Public Information Officer Camelia Juarez told Dateline via email that Jeanie was seen leaving the detox center on July 15, 2024. According to police, her last known contact with family was July 18 via phone call. “Detectives continue to follow and investigate all leads,” Juarez wrote. “However, at this time there is no update to this case.” Juarez was unable to share if the SAPD suspects foul play, stating, “These details pertain to an active and ongoing investigation.”
“This has put our whole family in the worst possible situation,” Annie said. That includes Leah and Charley’s dad, Ronald Garcia, who never lost touch with Jeanie’s family, even after the two split. Annie says Ronald has been her constant in the search for Jeanie. “He will not leave Texas, because he feels like he’s leaving her behind,” she said.
Ronald and JeanieAnnie Salcido
Annie and Ronald have followed every lead and tip they’ve received. “As soon as I got off of work, I would put gas in my car and Annie would have a list of places,” Ronald told Dateline. He says they’ve looked everywhere from homeless encampments to rehabs and businesses in the San Antonio area. Months after Jeanie’s disappearance, they even followed a lead to Tulsa, Oklahoma, but did not find her.
Annie has reached out to countless medical facilities with her daughter’s information. “You name it, I’ve called them,” she said.
Leah and JeanieAnnie Salcido
Ronald says his daughters, who are now 12 and 4 years old, are struggling without their mom. He promised his oldest, Leah, that he won’t stop searching. “My entire existence right now in life is, like, keeping my head above water and looking for Jeanie,” Ronald said.
Annie turned to the San Antonio community for help. One organization, Search & Support San Antonio (SASSA), is helping with Jeanie’s case. The nonprofit creates and distributes missing persons flyers, holds vigils and awareness events, and conducts searches.
Lori Wittmeyer has been volunteering with SASSA since 2024. “It just struck a chord with me. And I just — I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve gotta get involved in this,’” Lori told Dateline. She now serves as the organization’s case intake manager, helping families create a game plan for finding their loved ones.
Lori says organizations like SASSA are valuable in missing persons cases because volunteers have the ability to mobilize quickly. “It’s really just a matter of numbers,” she said.
Search & Support San Antonio
SASSA has recognized Jeanie’s case at various events, including their annual walk for domestic violence awareness. “We’re looking for that one person who knows the story,” Lori said. “We don’t want anybody to forget about Jeanie,” she added.
Annie certainly hasn’t forgotten her daughter. “I will never stop looking, and I will never stop trying to get answers,” she told Dateline. “I pray every day. I haven’t lost hope.”
Jeanie is 5’6” and 100 lbs. She has black hair and dark brown eyes. She has many tattoos, including a rose on her neck and tattoos on her chest and arms. She was last seen with bruising on the left side of her face.
Anyone with information concerning Jeanie’s case is urged to call the SAPD Cold Case/Missing Person tip line at 210-207-7401.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit http://www.thehotline.org/ for more resources.
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