Jolie Pesina died in a crash, but it was family who found her body over a day later after they say police stopped looking for her.
SAN ANTONIO — A young mother is dead, and her family says it didn’t have to be this way.
SAPD confirmed 21-year-old Jolie Pesina died in a car crash earlier this week.
They say the crash happened off Southwest Loop 410 near Highway 16 early Monday morning. But Pesina wasn’t found until Tuesday afternoon.
KENS 5 was told officers responded to an area of the highway where her cellphone had sent a crash alert just before 6 a.m.
After SAPD and SAFD searched for some time on Monday morning, they left once they couldn’t find a scene.
Purple ribbon, a lily, and the word “Mom” now rest next to torn metal. They’re reminders of the life that a family never gave up on.
In a GoFundMe post, 21-year-old Jolie Pesina’s family said in part: “On Monday, November 17th, our sweet Jolie Pesina Charles left for work like any normal day, and she never made it home.”
Michelle Ramos, deputy chief with SAPD, said that just before 6 a.m. Monday, Pesina’s phone sent crash alert to first responders.
“Officers went out there, SAFD went out there, and I believe they did not find a crash.”
Ramos says there was no scene and no witnesses, so emergency crews left the area of Southwest Loop 410 near Highway 16.
Pesina’s family didn’t give up. They went on to describe their efforts in social media post.
“It wasn’t first responders who found her. It was us, her family, searching desperately, refusing to give up on her. No family should ever have to live through what we lived through.”
“The victim was located the next evening, about a mile from where the dispatch location,” Ramos said.
Ramos says emergency crews searched the area as they should. There was no explanation as to why Pesina wasn’t found for over 24 hours.
Her family now says: “We are now trying to give Jolie the beautiful goodbye she deserves, something no family ever expects to plan for someone so young.”
Ramos said that Pesina was found 20 feet down in a ravine and reiterated that officers did search the area, but they simply did not find anything.