Illinois: Remains Pulled from Vernon Hills Pond Believed To Be Missing Teen Brissa Romero

In a somber turn of events, authorities recovered a body on Tuesday afternoon in the ongoing search for missing Illinois teen Brissa Romero, as stated in a press release from Vernon Hills and Carpentersville police, according to ABC 7.

The discovery took place in the Vernon Hills retention pond where her vehicle, a 2008 Nissan Rogue, had been retrieved the previous night.

The police believe that the car entered the pond accidentally following a failure to navigate a T-intersection near the area.

Video footage from a nearby fast-food restaurant, captured shortly before Romero's last phone communication with local cell towers, indicates that the 17-year-old was driving at the time.

Law enforcement has ruled out foul play at this stage, emphasizing their focus on confirming the formal identification of the recovered body by the Lake County Coroner's office.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

The Missing Illinois Teen Brissa Romero

Brissa Romero went missing on her way to a work holiday party at Bowlero bowling alley in Vernon Hills, Illinois, per the Daily Mail.

The search intensified when her car was located in a retention pond just a mile from where she was last seen alive.

Although Brissa was not found inside the vehicle upon retrieval, investigators suspect she was inside the Nissan Rogue when it entered the water.

"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," Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick Kreis said.

Surveillance footage from a nearby restaurant revealed Romero parking her car, entering the establishment, and leaving alone about 15 minutes before the last recorded ping on her phone.

During the investigation, a resident pointed out a backpack near the pond's bank, believed to belong to Brissa.

The police consider the pond a focal point for their search efforts.

"In my heart, I still believe that she's out there," missing Illinois older sister, Dulce Romero, said, expressing hope despite the heartbreaking developments.

In the days leading up to the tragic discovery, the Romero family engaged in extensive efforts, distributing flyers, contacting local businesses for video footage, and seeking information from Brissa's friends. The 17-year-old, who graduated from Barrington High School a year early in 2023, had enrolled at Harper College in Palatine with aspirations of becoming an ultrasound technician.

Recovery Operation: Brissa Romero's SUV Emerges from Vernon Hills Pond

One week after Brissa Romero's disappearance, authorities successfully retrieved her SUV from a large retention pond in Vernon Hills, the Daily Herald noted.

The recovery operation is ongoing, with police describing it as a process to locate the missing teenager.

The condition of the gray Nissan Rogue suggests that Romero was likely inside the vehicle when it entered the pond, traveling approximately 60 feet into the water near a T-shaped intersection.

The missing Illinois teen's last contact with her mother was at 6:55 PM on December 4, when she mentioned being en route to a work holiday party at Bowlero in Vernon Hills.

The pond where her SUV was recovered is a short four-minute drive or one mile from the bowling alley.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Body found during search for missing teen Brissa Romero - From CBS Chicago