Police investigate death of pregnant teenager, boyfriend as capital murder case

Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The shooting deaths of a pregnant teenager and her boyfriend are being investigated as a capital murder case, authorities in San Antonio said, as they call on the public's help in identifying two persons of interest.

The bodies of Savanah Nicole Soto, 18, and her boyfriend, Matthew Guerra, 22, were found Tuesday afternoon in his car that was parked outside of a San Antonio apartment complex.

Soto, who was past her due date to give birth, and Guerra were reported missing late last week after she failed to arrive at an important medical appointment.

They both had been shot, according to police, who said the unborn child was also deceased.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus told reporters Thursday in a press conference that Guerra had been shot in the head, and that the manner of death had yet to be determined. Though there is the possibility that Guerra took his own life, McManus said they are investigating his death as murder until evidence indicates otherwise.

"It was a heinous act. It was unspeakable, the tragedy of it," McManus said.

He said that the vehicle and the bodies had been in the parking lot for a few days before it was found.

Police on Thursday also released surveillance video taken a few days before the bodies were discovered and in close proximity to the apartment complex of Guerra's gray Kia Optima.

In 79-second video, Guerra's grey Kia Optima drives into the parking lot from the left side of the screen while a dark colored pickup truck drives into the frame from the right.

A large man in a white tank top is seen emerging from the front seat of the pickup and interacts with the driver of the Optima. During the interaction, the pickup driver hands something to the other driver, who also momentarily emerges briefly from the vehicle before the two vehicles drive away in opposite directions.

McManus told reporters that they believe that the item seen in the video being handed from one driver to the other was something to wipe down the side of the car.

He also said they believe that Soto and Guerra were killed at a second location and their bodies were left in the car in the parking lot.

Anyone with information about the two people seen in the video are encouraged to contact the authorities immediately, McManus said.