Remains found in mesa may be missing woman

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) - Authorities are waiting for human remains discovered on a New Mexico mesa last week to be identified.

KOAT-TV reports (https://bit.ly/QSBGQd) that Rio Rancho police believe the remains belong to Brenda Salas, who went missing in June 2012.

The 27-year-old woman was last seen at a Walmart in Rio Rancho.

Investigators say her car was found more than two weeks later in Sandoval County near Encino and Frost roads.

According to the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, a family found the body of a woman April 20 while searching for fossils.

Deputies say there were clothes, car keys and cellphone found nearby.

Authorities say DNA tests and dental records could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months.

The medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.

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Information from: KOAT-TV, https://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/index.html