Missing Texas Mom Erica Hernandez Found Dead Inside SUV in Pearland Pond
Authorities called in the dive team to search the area. They were able to fish out an SUV from the pond which was consistent with the make, body, and license plate of Hernandez’s vehicle. Photo by Uriel Mont from Pexels

After going missing for almost three weeks, the remains of a Texas mom were recovered Tuesday by authorities inside an SUV submerged in a Pearland pond.

Erica Hernandez was last seen leaving the house of a friend in southwest Houston at around 2:30 a.m. on April 18. Since then, police and family members have been looking for the 40-year-old Texas mom of three.

According to ABC News, authorities went to search the retention pond in Pearland after receiving information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Kevin Deese, Commander of the Houston Police Department, said the police surveyed the area, and they were able to find evidence suggesting the vehicle struck a curb and went into the water.

The police department's dive team then searched the man-made lake and recovered a black GMC Acadia at the bottom of the pond that had the same body, make and license plate as Erica Hernandez's vehicle.

A body found inside the SUV was immediately sent to the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office. On Wednesday, the medical examiner's office confirmed that the person found inside the vehicle was indeed Erica Hernandez, News4A San Antonio reported.

The Pearland Police Department, which is leading the investigation, said that her cause of death has yet to be determined.

On the day she disappeared, officials said the Texas mom, a Hispanic, was driving a black 2020 GMC Acadia with Texas license plates.

Pulling the Texas Mom's Vehicle Out of Pearland Pond

The SUV, which has Erica Hernandez's remains, was recovered at around 7 p.m. or more than two hours after the dive team entered the body of water.

Officials noted that it was evident that the car has been submerged in the Pearland pond for a long time, KTRK reported.

As of the moment, authorities could not give more information on what led them to the pond or where they found the vehicle in the pond, which ranged from 8 to 15 feet deep.

Erica Hernandez's Disappearance

Hours before her disappearance, Hernandez was recorded on a doorbell camera leaving her brother's home on April 17 in the evening.

After leaving her brother's house, relatives said that the Texas mom took her children home and proceeded to go to her friend's house.

Hernandez's family told KTRK that she was even able to text that she was only five minutes away from her house after leaving her friend's home.

Police noted that after her disappearance, the Texas mom's phone stopped sending location signals, as well as her car's OnStar connection. The police initially ruled out foul play.

Since Erica Hernandez went missing, her family and friend have looked for her for weeks. They even passed out flyers and have studied possible routes she could take going home for clues.

Hernandez's sister told reporters at the discovery site Tuesday that the family felt numb and sick to their stomach.

WATCH: Body Found Inside Submerged SUV in Pearland Pond Positively Identified as Erica Hernandez, Police Say - From KHOU 11