The women disappeared after a birthday celebration, and investigators have not determined what caused their vehicle to enter the St. Joseph River.
NILES, Mich. — Medical examiners have identified two women found dead inside a Jeep submerged in the St. Joseph River as missing South Bend mothers Vanessa Bautista, 24, and Alexa Navarro, 23, authorities said Wednesday.
The identification ended a search that began after Bautista and Navarro disappeared during the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 13. Their bodies were found Tuesday, Sept. 15, inside a Jeep in the river in Niles, Michigan. The causes of death remained pending Wednesday, and investigators had not determined what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and enter the water.
Niles Police Chief James Millin said investigators believe the Jeep went over an embankment before entering the river. Police have not publicly explained why the vehicle left the road or identified who was driving at the time. Authorities also have not announced a finding on whether foul play played any role in the deaths.
Bautista and Navarro had spent Saturday night with friends in Elkhart, Indiana, where relatives said they were celebrating Bautista’s birthday at The Arena Nightclub. Family members told local news outlets that the women later dropped off a friend in South Bend and planned to get food. Their families then lost contact with them during the early morning hours Sunday.
Location information from Bautista’s phone became an important part of the search. Relatives said a location-sharing application showed her last known location in the Niles area. Police departments in South Bend, Elkhart and Niles coordinated as investigators and relatives tried to trace the women’s movements across northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan.
The women were traveling in a gray 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. South Bend police initially handled the missing-person investigation because both women lived in the city. As the search widened, family members and community volunteers traveled to the Niles area, shared information about the women and their vehicle and sought answers from several police agencies involved in the case.
The Jeep was located in the St. Joseph River on Tuesday. Niles police initially said two women had been found inside the submerged vehicle and that their clothing matched descriptions of Bautista and Navarro. Authorities stopped short of formally identifying them until the medical examiner’s office serving Berrien County completed the identification process Wednesday.
The discovery brought a tragic end to days of uncertainty for relatives who had publicly appealed for information. A gathering that had been planned in South Bend to seek greater transparency about the investigation shifted into a prayer vigil after news spread that the Jeep and two bodies had been found. Community members had also gathered during the search to support the families.
The deaths leave three young children without their mothers. Navarro was the mother of a 3-year-old child, while Bautista had two children, ages 2 and 3, according to published reports. Relatives and friends had expressed particular concern during the search because the women had not contacted their children, which family members described as unusual.
Several questions about the final hours before the Jeep entered the river remain unanswered. Police have not released a complete timeline showing when the vehicle arrived in Niles, who was driving or what caused it to go over the embankment. Authorities have also not announced evidence establishing that another person was involved.
Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s path into the river while medical officials work to determine the causes and manners of death. As of Wednesday, no final determination had been announced about what caused the Jeep to enter the water or whether criminal conduct contributed to the deaths.
Author note: Last updated September 16, 2026.