Car Crossed Border Without Driver: 28-Year-Old Woman Missing Since Oct. 20
Daniela Hernandez's Audi was tracked into Mexico, but U.S. Border Patrol confirmed she was not inside the vehicle.
By Ella Cox ·
The trail for Daniela Hernandez ended at the Rio Grande, where her silver 2015 Audi Q3 crossed from Texas into Mexico. U.S. Border Patrol officers confirmed the vehicle entered Mexico without its driver inside. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has classified Hernandez, 28, as missing and endangered.
Hernandez, who stands 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds, was last seen in Magnolia on October 20. Her husband, Makai Marchan, said she left their Spring home to go to a Planet Fitness gym about 30 minutes away. Marchan stated that Hernandez had been managing mental stress and psychosis episodes during the period leading up to her disappearance.
Marchan located the car in the gym parking lot the day after she vanished. He approached the vehicle but said Hernandez drove away abruptly while experiencing an episode. He noted that she had not mentioned any plans to leave or disappear prior to that day.
Digital tracking of the vehicle’s location showed it pinging in Corpus Christi the day after Hernandez vanished. The car’s GPS data later placed it in Brownsville before it crossed the international border. It remains unknown who was driving the Audi when it entered Mexico.
Marchan traveled to Matamoros, Mexico, where Hernandez has family members. He said no relatives had seen her. He expressed concern that two unidentified individuals crossed the border in the car, raising questions about Hernandez’s safety during the transit.
The couple shares two children, ages 4 and 11, who are waiting for their mother to return. Marchan has asked the public to share any information that could lead to Hernandez’s location. He directed calls to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 936-538-5900, citing case number 26A372001. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers via phone or the P3 app.
Hernandez’s license plate is PSZ-1079. The Sheriff’s Office is treating the case as a high-priority search, with the physical location of the car now serving as the primary lead in the investigation.
