Teen released from jail alone during mental health crisis. Now she's missing — sheriff responds
Authorities issued an Amber Alert for Briana Guerra, 17
As the search for a missing 17-year-old enters its third day, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office says it did not have legal authority to hold her in jail despite warnings from her parents that she was in the midst of a mental health crisis.Briana Guerra is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and about 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts and blue glitter Crocs. She has a nose piercing and a tattoo of a marigold flower with Roman numerals on her left arm.
San Antonio police arrested Guerra Saturday on a family assault charge when she began experiencing a mental health episode. She had missed her medication while attending a convention at Community Bible Church, said her mother, Raquel Guerra.
She was taken to the Bexar County jail instead of juvenile detention because those aged 17 and up are considered adults under the Texas criminal justice system.
"This legal status means a 17-year-old is not required to have a parent or guardian present at the facility to be released once they have met the legal requirements for release," the sheriff's office said in a statement Wednesday. "The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is legally prohibited from holding any individual, including 17-year-olds, longer than their authorized detention period allows."
But Raquel Guerra says that amid the family's concerns about her mental health in custody, jail staff told them the teen would only be released to her parents. They requested to drop off her medication but reportedly were denied because she was to be released Monday morning.
Her father went to the jail around 1 a.m. Monday to pick her up, but was told it would be a few more hours. When he headed back later that morning, she was already gone. If he had known she would be released on her own, he "would have never left," Raquel Guerra said.
"While we are concerned that the individual is missing after departing our property, the BCSO does not have the legal authority to prolong custodial detention or involuntary oversight once a legal release has been triggered," the sheriff's office said Wednesday. "We remain committed to our search efforts and will provide updates as they become available."
The sheriff's office is leading the search for Briana Guerra because she went missing near jail property. Investigators are "working diligently to locate her and ensure her safety," the agency said.
There were several possible sightings of the teen Tuesday at Pearsall Park and near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, her mother said in social media posts.
She left her phone and bank card behind when she was arrested, adding to the difficulty of the search. Because she has not taken her medication since Saturday, she is likely disoriented.
The teen ran away from home once 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.
Anyone with information on Briana Guerra's whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff's office at (210) 335-6000 or via missingpersons@bexar.org.
MEDIA - BRIANA GUERRA: Missing from San Antonio, TX - 2 March 2026 - Age 17
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