Search for missing San Antonio woman continues

Tips lead searchers to wooded area

SAN ANTONIO – Volunteers with the Chain Breakers gathered Saturday morning at Leon Creek Rodriguez County Park to search for the remains of Cecilia Huerta Gallegos.

It has been seven weeks since a family member reported Cecilia Gallegos, the mother of four, as missing.

Gallegos' sister, Mireya Lopez, told KSAT the family has accepted the fact that they will not find her alive.

This week, volunteers learned about the arrest of Gallegos' husband, Reyes Gallegos.

He is charged with filing a false police report in connection with an altercation with his wife that happened in their West Side home on July 7.

According to the arrest affidavit, Reyes told police his wife cut him with a knife during an altercation and then took off. Investigators said the obtained surveillance video from the home that shows different events, according to the affidavit.

Investigators said the video shows Cecilia entering her bedroom on the evening of July 7. Around 2 a.m. on July 8, the cameras were shut off for almost two hours. Later that morning, Reyes left home for more than two hours and later unloaded shovels and a chainsaw.

The location to which Reyes traveled between those hours remains unclear, however Robert Green, from the Chain Breakers, said the group has reason to believe the location for Saturday's search may be familiar to Reyes.

"This area is closer to their home, first of all. Second of all, we did receive information that (Reyes Gallegos) was around the area not too long ago," Green said.

Also joining the search was K-9 Bak.

"He is a cadaver dog," said Tammy Johnson, Bak's handler. "He's also a tracking dog. His alert is down if he finds remains."

The searchers said that, although it's disheartening, human remains are exactly what they're searching for.

"It's physically, mentally taxing but we know what our goal is," said Green. "We want to bring her family closure."

The group is already planning another search. To volunteer at the next search, contact the Chain Breakers on its Facebook page.


About the Authors:

Alicia Barrera is a KSAT 12 News reporter and anchor. She is also a co-host of the streaming show KSAT News Now. Alicia is a first-generation Mexican-American, fluent in both Spanish and English with a bachelor's degree from Our Lady of the Lake University. She enjoys reading books, traveling solo across Mexico and spending time with family.

Before starting at KSAT in August 2011, Ken was a news photographer at KENS. Before that he was a news photographer at KVDA TV in San Antonio. Ken graduated from San Antonio College with an associate's degree in Radio, TV and Film. Ken has won a Sun Coast Emmy and four Lone Star Emmys. Ken has been in the TV industry since 1994.