Police said clothing found on the women matched descriptions of two South Bend mothers reported missing days earlier.
NILES, Mich. — Two women were found dead inside a Jeep submerged in the St. Joseph River on Tuesday as authorities investigated the disappearance of two South Bend mothers, according to Niles police.
Police said the clothing on the women matched descriptions of 24-year-old Vanessa Bautista and 23-year-old Alexa Navarro, who had been reported missing after going out together over the weekend. Authorities had not publicly confirmed the identities of the two women as of early Wednesday and said the investigation remained active.
The discovery brought a grim turn to a search that had involved relatives, volunteers and police agencies in both Indiana and Michigan. Bautista and Navarro were last seen early Sunday after spending Saturday night with friends, according to relatives and police. Family members said the women had dropped off a friend in South Bend and later planned to get food.
The women were traveling in a gray 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Their families reported them missing after they did not return and could no longer be reached. Information from their phones later drew attention to the Niles area, where search efforts intensified Tuesday.
Niles Police Chief James Millin said search crews focused on the St. Joseph River and located a vehicle underwater. Authorities worked for hours to bring the Jeep to shore so investigators could examine it. Millin said police believed the vehicle had gone over an embankment before entering the river, but officials had not determined what caused that to happen.
Police said two women were inside the vehicle. Investigators compared their clothing with descriptions of what Bautista and Navarro had been wearing when they were last seen and notified the families after determining the clothing appeared to match.
Niles police took the lead in the investigation after the vehicle was found within the city. Authorities had previously coordinated with law enforcement agencies in South Bend and Elkhart as the search crossed city and state lines.
The investigation is now expected to focus on establishing the women’s identities and determining how the Jeep entered the river. Police have not announced evidence showing whether the vehicle entered the water because of a crash, another event or circumstances that remain unknown.
Authorities said autopsy and toxicology findings will be part of the continuing investigation. Those examinations could help investigators determine causes of death and provide additional information about the events before the Jeep entered the water.
Police have not announced a final determination about what happened, and officials have emphasized that locating the vehicle does not end the investigation. The next steps include formal identification of the women and further examination of the vehicle and available evidence.
Author note: Last updated September 16, 2026.