A car that belongs to the family of convicted rapist Spencer Scarber was found in Mexico earlier this week, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims confirmed Friday.

The car was last seen by authorities going into Mexico over the San Ysidro border crossing, south of San Diego, just before 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 12, the same night Scarber, 20, of Squaw Valley, was reported missing.

Scarber's sister, Crystal Reynoso, and mother, Gail Scarber, walked back into the United States using their passports a little over an hour later.

Spencer Scarber was arrested last month in Acapulco for furnishing false identification to Mexican authorities.

Reynoso, Gail Scarber and her husband, Kyle Scarber, assistant chief for the California Highway Patrol's Fresno-area office, were arrested last month for allegedly aiding Spencer Scarber in his escape to Mexico.

The car was discovered in a city south of an Arizona border crossing, Mims said. "We were notified earlier this week the car was in an impound yard," she said. "We are waiting to learn about the condition of the vehicle."

Information about the car went into an insurance database, where it was connected to the Scarber family, she said.

It's not clear whether detectives will retrieve the car, Mims said. "We are still trying to decide what kind of help it might be."