On Tuesday, authorities found the body of Brissa Romero, the young woman of Hispanic origin who disappeared on Dec. 4 in Vernon Hills, Ill. The girl, a resident of the nearby town of Carpentersville, disappeared before attending a Christmas party.
Her body was found in a retention pond in Vernon Hills. Authorities also pulled the young woman's car from the same pond. None of the people waiting for Romero saw her that night. The search in the pond began after a resident of the area told the police that he saw a backpack floating in the water.
BREAKING: Divers in Vernon Hills have pulled a body from the retention pond that has been at the center of the search for missing 17-year-old Brissa Romero.
Her car was pulled from the pond Monday.
Police believe she drove her car into the pond Dec 4. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/m6pqaOLXRT
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) December 12, 2023
Authorities issued a statement detailing the results of initial analyses regarding the cause of the young woman's death.
According to these results, Romero's body did not show significant signs of violence or struggle, and everything indicates that the cause of his death was drowning. The police investigation suggests, according to NBC Chicago sources, that the young woman died after driving her car into the pond "accidentally." Romero likely lost control of the vehicle at an intersection.
The Nissan Rogue, identified as belonging to missing teen, Brissa Romero, has been recovered. The vehicle was pulled out of a pond at Executive Way & Lakeview Pkwy, near the last traced cellular data. The vehicle was empty & a search will continue. More at https://t.co/vhbRxCdj7J pic.twitter.com/GdqKQ1cVkf
— Kris Habermehl (@KrisHabermehl) December 11, 2023
The latest on Brissa Romero
Investigators theorize based on Romero's body that her death was not a murder. The young woman entered a restaurant near the road she was traveling on when the accident happened. The establishment's surveillance cameras show her entering and leaving the premises alone before returning to her vehicle.
Thanks to this footage, investigators believe that Romero was alone at all times that day, therefore ruling out the intervention of another person in her death.
