TWO YOUNG MOMS VANISHED AFTER A BIRTHDAY NIGHT OUT — DAYS LATER, THEIR FAMILIES GOT THE NEWS THEY FEARED MOST

A SUBMERGED JEEP WAS FOUND IN THE RIVER — AND INSIDE WERE THE TWO MISSING MOTHERS

Two young mothers who disappeared after a birthday celebration in Indiana have been found after their Jeep was discovered submerged in a Michigan river.

Alexa Navarro, 23, and Vanessa Bautista, 24, had been missing since the early morning hours of September 13, 2026, after spending the night celebrating Bautista’s birthday.

On Tuesday, September 15, authorities located a Jeep in the St. Joseph River in Niles, Michigan.

Two bodies were found inside the vehicle.

At first, officials said the bodies were believed to be those of Navarro and Bautista, but formal identification was still pending. Their clothing reportedly matched what the women were wearing when they disappeared.

THE NIGHT THEY DISAPPEARED

The two friends had spent Saturday night celebrating Bautista’s birthday at The Arena Nightclub in Elkhart, Indiana.

Family members said the women later dropped off a friend in South Bend and planned to get something to eat before heading home.

The last known contact with Bautista was reported at around 3:41 a.m. Sunday.

After that, the families lost contact with both women.

Navarro was a mother to a 3-year-old child, while Bautista had two children, ages 2 and 3.

THE JEEP WAS FOUND IN THE RIVER

The search took a devastating turn Tuesday when authorities located the gray Jeep in the St. Joseph River.

Police Chief James Millin said the vehicle had gone over an embankment, but investigators had not immediately determined how it ended up in the water.

The circumstances surrounding the women’s deaths remained under investigation.

FAMILIES WAITED FOR ANSWERS

Before the discovery, relatives had publicly appealed for information and expressed concern because the women had not returned home or checked in with their children.

Family members also gathered as the search continued.

A planned protest seeking greater transparency about the investigation later became a prayer vigil following the discovery of the Jeep.

THE WOMEN HAVE NOW BEEN IDENTIFIED

On September 16, the medical examiner’s office serving Berrien County confirmed that the two bodies recovered from the submerged Jeep were Vanessa Bautista and Alexa Navarro.

Authorities said the cause of death remains pending, and the investigation is continuing.

Police have not publicly disclosed exactly how the Jeep entered the river or what happened during the final hours before the women disappeared.

For two families who spent days desperately waiting for their loved ones to come home, the search has now become a heartbreaking wait for answers.