Police discovered a vehicle belonging to a missing Illinois teen submerged in a pond on Monday, a week after her disappearance. Brissa Romero, 17, had been driving a Nissan Rogue, which was retrieved from a sizable retention pond in Vernon Hills, located north of Chicago and approximately 17 miles east of her Carpentersville residence, according to law enforcement.
During a news conference, Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick L. Kreis stated that no body has been recovered as of now, and the operation is focused on recovery. Authorities believe Romero was behind the wheel when the vehicle entered the pond.
The discovery originated from a person in the vicinity who noticed a backpack believed to be Romero’s on the pond’s edge on Monday morning. Subsequently, the SUV was located in the pond, Kreis explained.
“Based on the condition of the vehicle and all the evidence we have at this point, it appears that Brissa was in that vehicle when it drove into the lake,” Kreis remarked.
Romero had been reported missing the previous Tuesday, prompting a search. Her last known location was near Bowlero, a bowling alley in Vernon Hills, according to the police.
Investigators suspect Romero was driving the vehicle based on footage obtained from a nearby fast-food restaurant on Monday morning. The video showed her parking, entering the restaurant alone, and departing before driving out of the parking lot, approximately 15 minutes prior to her last phone pings near the pond’s location, Kreis stated.
Officials announced that the search of the pond would persist, with operations suspended Monday evening and scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.
Kreis described the pond as reaching a depth of about 20 feet, matching the depth at which the SUV was discovered. The vehicle traveled approximately 60 feet into the pond, situated near a T-shaped intersection, he explained.
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“From the preliminary review of what happened, it really appears like this is a case where a driver, unfamiliar with the area, failed to navigate a turn and went through the intersection, down an embankment into the pond,” Kreis concluded.