VERNON HILLS, IL – A body matching the description of the missing 17-year-old Brissa Romero has been discovered in a pond located near Lakeview and Executive parkways. Romero’s car was found in the same pond one day prior. The Lake County Coroner’s Office is currently working on obtaining a formal identification from the recovered remains.
Authorities had been looking for Romero, a resident of Carpentersville, for eight days since her disappearance on December 4. Mobile phone data analyzed during the search efforts directed the teams to the pond, where her belongings and car were eventually found.
Romero was assumed to be heading to a holiday gathering at a bowling alley in Vernon Hills on the day she vanished but didn’t make it to her destination. After discovering a backpack floating near the pond’s edge, which appeared to belong to Romero, police were brought in to conduct an on-ground search of the area. This led to the retrieval of Romero’s car from the pond.
In a press statement, the police departments of Carpentersville and Vernon Hills extended their deepest condolences to the bereaved Romero family. While expressing their strong aspiration for Romero’s safe return during search operations, the departments also conveyed gratitude towards the community members for their persistent efforts.
Following the inspection of the recovered vehicle, authorities gathered that Romero was likely in the car when it submerged into the water. Relevant surveillance footage showcasing Romero alone, entering and exiting a nearby food joint, supported this claim. The footage that traced Romero driving off was recorded 15 minutes prior to her final known cell phone signal in the vicinity of the pond.
As the probe wrapped up, Romero’s family bore witness but were too distraught to comment on the grim findings.