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 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 cell phone 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.
