A body believed to be that of anIllinois teenagerwho vanished while on her way to a holiday work party has been found after a week-long search.
The Carpentersville Police Department said in a press release that a dead female’s body was recovered in a pond just outside of Chicago early Tuesday afternoon amid the search for 17-year-old Brissa Romero, who went missing on Dec. 4.
Village of Carpentersville Public Safety
Romero was believed to have been on her way to a holiday work party at a bowling alley in Vernon Hills, a suburb about 40 miles north of Chicago, when she disappeared. However, police said she never showed up and, before that, was last spotted on surveillance video while visiting a family member in Des Plaines, Ill.
Police have been searching for her ever since, and on Monday, after reviewing cell phone data, were led to a retention pond in Vernon Hills, the release states.
Several items belonging to Romero, including a backpack containing what police say was identifying information, were then found along the pond’s shore. As the search involving sonar and dive teams continued, investigators recovered Romero’s missing 2008 Nissan Rogue submerged in the water, police said.
“Preliminary investigation suggests the car was accidentally driven into the pond after the driver failed to navigate the T-intersection,” police said.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
On Monday, Romero’s sister, Dulce Romero, toldABC 7 Chicagothat she was holding out hope for her sister’s safe return.
“The vehicle has no body inside,” she told the outlet. “They will be searching the pond to see if Brissa’s body is in there. Until now, in my heart, I still believe she’s out there.”
“The men and women of both the Carpentersville and Vernon Hills Police Departments worked diligently and with sincere hope for Brissa’s safe return since she was reported missing,” the release states. “The Departments thank Brissa’s family, friends, and members of the community who worked to bring awareness to Brissa’s case and offer their deepest condolences to the Romero family.”
source: people.com
