(NewsNation) — A body pulled out of a retention pond in suburban Chicago is believed to be that of Brissa Romero, 17, who has been missing since Dec. 4, police said Tuesday.
Carpentersville police said the body they found matches Romero’s description, though they are still waiting on confirmation from the Lake County Coroner’s office.
A review of Romero’s cellphone data brought investigators to the retention pond in Vernon Hills on Monday, which is where police found her car, a gray 2008 Nissan Rogue with a bumper sticker of a black coyote. While police were on the scene, a resident notified officers about a backpack that appeared to have floated to the edge of the pond. This backpack contained identifying information for Romero, police said.
A preliminary investigation suggests the car was accidentally driven into the pond after the driver failed to navigate the T-intersection, according to Carpentersville police.
Additional surveillance footage from a nearby restaurant recorded Romero parking her vehicle and entering the establishment by herself before leaving. The footage was taken only 15 minutes before her last registered phone ping in the area of the pond, NewsNation local affiliate WGN said.
A graduate of Barrington High School, Romero was studying to be an ultrasound technician at Harper College, WGN wrote.
NewsNation digital producer Damita Menezes contributed to this article.