Vanessa Bautista, 24, and Alexa Navarro, 23, Found Dead in Submerged Jeep After Disappearing in Indiana

Vanessa Bautista, 24, and Alexa Navarro, 23, two young mothers from South Bend, Indiana, were found dead inside a submerged Jeep in the St. Joseph River in Niles, Michigan, days after they disappeared following a night out in Elkhart.

The women were reported missing in the early hours of September 13, 2026, after spending the evening in Elkhart. They had been traveling in a gray 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was later located underwater in the St. Joseph River.

On September 15, Niles police discovered the Jeep submerged in the river with two bodies inside. Medical examiners subsequently confirmed that the victims were Bautista and Navarro. Authorities said the vehicle had gone over an embankment in the area of Laurel and South Lincoln Avenue before entering the river.

Investigators have not yet determined exactly what caused the women’s deaths. Autopsies were completed, but officials said it could take several weeks to establish the cause and manner of death while toxicology testing is completed.

The circumstances leading up to the crash have also raised questions. Niles Police Chief James Millin said investigators were looking into reports that the women may have been followed or chased before the Jeep ended up in the river. However, he stressed that such reports remained unconfirmed.

Police have not found evidence indicating that another vehicle forced the Jeep off the road. Investigators believe the vehicle sustained extensive damage as it traveled down the steep embankment, striking trees, the bank and eventually the water.

Questions have also been raised about why the women were in Niles. Alexa Navarro’s former partner, Jovani Ramirez, told WNDU that the route was unusual for her and that he could not understand why she had traveled in that direction. Police have not publicly said that the unusual route proves anything about the circumstances of the crash.

The investigation remains active as detectives work to reconstruct the women’s final movements and determine how the Jeep entered the river. Chief Millin said investigators were continuing to follow leads and examine the possibility of foul play, while emphasizing that speculation about a chase or forced crash had not been established as fact.

Both women were mothers. Navarro leaves behind a 3-year-old child, while Bautista was the mother of two young children, ages 2 and 3. Their families had spent days searching for answers before authorities confirmed the devastating discovery.

For now, the deaths of Vanessa Bautista and Alexa Navarro remain under investigation. Authorities are awaiting toxicology findings and continuing to examine the evidence surrounding the submerged Jeep, their final movements and the unanswered questions about what happened before the vehicle plunged into the St. Joseph River.

Source: People.com