Missing in Magnolia: Audi crosses into Mexico without driver
Montgomery County investigators are searching for Daniela Hernandez after her vehicle crossed the border in Brownsville, while she remained unaccounted for.
By Grace Almasi ·
A 28-year-old woman from Spring, Texas, is missing after her car crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without her inside. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has classified Daniela Hernandez as missing and endangered. Her husband, Makai Marchan, has spent weeks searching for her, traveling from their home to South Texas and across the border in an effort to find answers.
Hernandez is described as 4 feet 11 inches tall and 115 pounds. She was last known to be driving a silver 2015 Audi Q3 with Texas license plate PSZ-1079. According to Marchan, she left their home on October 20 with the intention of going to a Planet Fitness in Magnolia, approximately 30 minutes away. He stated that she had been dealing with stress and mental health challenges, including psychosis episodes, prior to her disappearance.
When Marchan arrived at the gym, he found Hernandez in the parking lot. He said she became distressed when he approached and drove away. Marchan noted that she had never expressed any intention of leaving or disappearing. The next day, the car's location service pinged a signal in Corpus Christi. Investigators believe she was last in Brownsville before the vehicle moved south.
U.S. Border Patrol confirmed that Hernandez was not in the Audi when it crossed into Mexico. It remains unclear who was driving the vehicle across the border. Marchan traveled to Matamoros, Mexico, where Hernandez has family, but no one there had seen her. He expressed concern that two unknown individuals crossed the border in her car, leaving him to speculate about her safety.
The couple has two children, aged 4 and 11, who are waiting for their mother to return home. Marchan is asking the public to provide any information they may have regarding her whereabouts. He urged her to reach out if she is listening to news reports.
Tips can be submitted to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office by calling 936-538-5900 and referencing case 26A372001. Anonymous tips may also be given to Crime Stoppers by calling 800-392-7867 or using the P3 app.
Investigators continue to work to determine Hernandez's current location and the circumstances surrounding her vehicle's crossing.
