Two Missing Indiana Mothers Found Inside Submerged Jeep in Michigan River as Investigators Search for Answers

Alexa Navarro is shown in this undated photo. The bodies of two missing mothers were found inside a sunken Jeep in a Michigan river, and police say it is unclear how they died.Alexa Navarro/Facebook

The search for two young Indiana mothers ended in tragedy after their Jeep was recovered from the St. Joseph River in Michigan, with both women found dead inside the vehicle.

Vanessa Bautista, 24, and Alexa Navarro, 23, both from South Bend, were discovered Tuesday night after authorities pulled their badly damaged 2020 gray Jeep Grand Cherokee from the river in Niles, roughly 11 miles north of their hometown.

The Western Michigan University Office of the Medical Examiner formally identified the women Thursday. Their cause of death, however, has not yet been determined.

Jeep Believed to Have Left the Road Early Sunday

This undated photo shows Vanessa Bautista. The bodies of two missing mothers were found inside a sunken Jeep in a Michigan river, and police say it is unclear how they died.Vanessa Bautista/Facebook

Niles Police Chief James Millin said investigators believe the Jeep went over an embankment at around 4 a.m. Sunday—the same day Bautista and Navarro were reported missing.

According to police, the vehicle traveled approximately 60 to 70 feet down a steep incline, striking trees before reaching the water. Millin said that sequence could explain the extensive damage visible on the Jeep when it was recovered.

The women had last been seen in Elkhart, about 21 miles east of South Bend. According to a family member, their last pinned location was in Niles.

When the Jeep was located, family members said the women were wearing clothing matching the descriptions issued during the search.

Police Investigating Reports Someone May Have Been Chasing Them

Alexa Navarro is pictured on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Navarro and Vanessa Bautista were found dead inside a vehicle submerged in the Saint Joseph River in Niles, Michigan, after going missing following a night out.Jam Press

Questions remain about what happened in the hours before the Jeep left the roadway.

Millin acknowledged that investigators had received statements suggesting someone may have been chasing the women and said police were looking into that possibility.

However, investigators currently have no evidence indicating that another person forced or pushed the Jeep from the road. Police stressed that the investigation remains open and that all leads are being pursued.

Autopsy Results Could Take Weeks

Despite the recovery of the vehicle and the positive identification of both women, authorities have not yet determined exactly how Bautista and Navarro died.

Autopsy and toxicology results could take several weeks to complete, according to police.

The investigation has now been transferred from South Bend Police to authorities in Niles, where investigators are working to reconstruct the Jeep’s final movements and determine what led it off the embankment and into the St. Joseph River.