Amber Alert issued as authorities search for missing Briana Guerra, 17, sister of shooting victim

Anyone with information is asked to contact BCSO at (210) 335-6000 or [email protected]

The family of missing 17-year-old Briana Guerra is raising concerns about mental health at the Bexar County jail, saying deputies allowed the teen to leave on her own in the midst of a mental health episode, as an Amber Alert was issued Tuesday amid the search for the missing teen.

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Guerra was last seen around 8 a.m. near the jail in the 1100 block of W. Commerce Street. She was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts and blue glitter Crocs.

She is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and about 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She has a nose piercing and a tattoo of a marigold flower with Roman numerals on her left arm.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (210) 335-6000 or via [email protected].

The teen attended a convention at Community Bible Church over the weekend and began experiencing a mental health episode Saturday evening when her mother picked her up from the event. San Antonio police arrested her on a family assault charge.

“We begged them not to take her,” said her mother, Raquel Guerra. “I explained over and over again, she missed her dosage of medicine because she went to the convention. I just administered her dosage of medicine.”

In the Texas criminal justice system, those aged 17 and up are considered adults. Briana Guerra was taken to the Bexar County jail, magistrated and booked into jail around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to court records.

Her father went to the jail that day and asked if he could bring the teen her medication, but staff told him she would be released soon, Raquel Guerra said.

When he returned around 1 a.m. Monday, jail staff told him she wouldn’t be released for a few more hours. He planned to come back, according to Raquel Guerra, who said they had received assurances from officials that she would be released into her parents’ custody.

She was cleared for release at 3:50 a.m., according to jail records.

Her mother said security footage captured her walking out just before 8 a.m. Briana hasn’t been seen since.

Family members have not been able to contact her, because she left her phone and money behind when she was arrested. She has not taken her medication for 48 hours and is likely disoriented as a result.

One person reported seeing the teen at the McDonald’s on Alamo Plaza downtown, her mother said, but family members have searched the area to no avail. On Tuesday, they printed missing posters to hang around town.

“Please be observant,” Raquel Guerra said. “We never know the struggles that someone could be facing behind closed doors.”

Briana Guerra ran away from home once before in the summer of 2024, when she first began struggling with her mental health. It was about six months after her brother died: Matthew Guerra, 22, was shot and killed along with his pregnant girlfriend Savanah Soto.

Her mother said this situation is different.

“We don’t understand how they could let a minor just walk out of there, especially if she they have been warned several times over she had mental illness,” she said.

The latest development in the case of 17-year-old Briana Guerra from San Antonio, Texas, has added a layer of heartbreaking normalcy and mystery to her disappearance. Family sources reveal that Briana’s last text message before her arrest was described as completely normal, with no apparent signs of distress. In the message, she discussed attending a conference (or teen event/convention) at Community Bible Church over the weekend, sharing routine details about the gathering in a calm, everyday tone.

This ordinary communication stands in stark contrast to the rapid sequence of events that followed. Briana had been picked up from the Community Bible Church event by her mother, Raquel Guerra, on Saturday evening after she began experiencing a mental health episode—triggered, according to family accounts, by missing a dose of her prescribed medication. Her mother begged San Antonio police not to arrest her daughter, citing her history of mental health concerns and the need for medication. Despite pleas, officers proceeded with an arrest on a family violence charge (due to her age being treated as an adult under Texas law), and Briana was booked into the Bexar County Jail around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Briana was released from custody shortly thereafter—around 8 a.m. Monday near the jail in the 1100 block of W. Commerce Street—but vanished soon after. An Amber Alert was issued for the missing teen, describing her as last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts, and blue glitter Crocs. Family members emphasize she had been without her medications for over 72 hours at the time of her disappearance, heightening concerns for her well-being during what they describe as an active mental health crisis.

Adding to the family’s anguish, data shows her phone disconnected shortly after she was taken into custody and has never been reconnected. This abrupt cutoff—potentially during or immediately following processing at the jail—has raised questions about the circumstances of her release and disappearance. Investigators are examining phone records, jail protocols, and any available surveillance or witness statements to trace her movements post-release. No foul play has been confirmed, but the sudden disconnection of her device has fueled speculation and worry among loved ones.

Briana’s case is deeply intertwined with prior family trauma: she is the younger sister of Matthew Guerra, who was fatally shot alongside his pregnant girlfriend in a separate incident. Her mother has shared that Briana ran away from home once before in the summer of 2024, about six months after her brother’s death, underscoring ongoing challenges. The family has publicly criticized the handling of her arrest and release, arguing that her mental health needs were not adequately addressed in the criminal justice process.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and San Antonio Police Department continue the search, urging anyone with information to contact authorities. Community Bible Church, a large congregation in San Antonio known for its youth programs and events, has not issued public statements on the incident beyond its role as the site of the teen gathering Briana attended.

This situation highlights critical issues around mental health support for young people, especially in crisis moments intersecting with law enforcement. Families and advocates stress the importance of diversion programs, crisis intervention training for officers, and better coordination between police, jails, and mental health services to prevent escalation or gaps in care.

Resources for mental health support include the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7 confidential help in the U.S.) and local Texas crisis services. For those concerned about a loved one in crisis, immediate outreach to professionals or emergency services is vital.

The Amber Alert remains active as searches continue in the San Antonio area. Briana’s family and community hold out hope for her safe return, haunted by the normalcy of her last text about the church conference juxtaposed against the tragic unfolding.