Police, aircraft and residents searched for hours before Aryana Trevino Martinez was found in brush near Belle Ellen Drive.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A large nighttime search across a Northwest Side neighborhood ended early Monday when crews found a missing 2-year-old girl unresponsive in dense brush near a creek, only hours after relatives reported that she had wandered away from home.
Aryana Trevino Martinez was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m., according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office. The search drew officers, specialized resources and neighborhood residents into streets and yards around Allegheny Drive as authorities raced to locate the toddler before daylight.
Police received the missing-child report around 8 p.m. Sunday from a home in the 4700 block of Allegheny Drive. Relatives told responding officers that Aryana had wandered away, according to a preliminary police report. Officers divided the surrounding area into search sections and began checking nearby properties and undeveloped spaces.
Authorities issued an AMBER Alert later Sunday night. Aryana was described as wearing a black top and leopard-print pants. A police briefing was held near Glenoaks Elementary School as the search continued through the neighborhood.
Residents reported seeing helicopters and groups carrying flashlights as officers checked alleys, backyards and areas of thick vegetation. About 100 people joined the effort, according to an estimate from a neighborhood resident who spoke with the San Antonio Express-News.
At about midnight, searchers converged on a brushy area off Belle Ellen Drive. Police said Aryana was found unresponsive near the address where she had disappeared. An investigator described the location as an overgrown, water-filled creek area behind the street.
Emergency personnel attempted to help the child before she was pronounced dead. Authorities canceled the AMBER Alert around 3 a.m. Monday. Police later thanked those who took part in the search.
Investigators remained in the neighborhood Monday, processing an alley and speaking with residents. Police said surveillance footage showed Aryana walking alone before she was found, but officials have not explained how she left the property or reached the creek area.
The medical examiner had not released a cause or manner of death by Tuesday. Police said they were seeking more video to establish Aryana’s movements and determine whether she encountered anyone after leaving home.
The case remains under investigation, and authorities have not announced any arrests, suspects or evidence of criminal conduct. Further information is expected after police complete their review and the medical examiner finishes the examination.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 4, 2026.