Body Recovered in Search for Missing Illinois Teen Brissa Romero

The body, found in a pond where Romero's car was discovered, has yet to be definitively identified.

Brissa Romero, a 17-year-old from Carpentersville, Illinois, went missing on December 4, 2023, while on her way to a holiday work party at a bowling alley in Vernon Hills.
Romero's car, a Nissan Rogue, was found submerged in a retention pond in Vernon Hills on December 11, 2023, after cell phone data led police to the location.
Police believe Romero was in the car when it went into the pond, based on the vehicle's condition and surveillance footage from a nearby fast food restaurant showing Romero alone shortly before her phone last pinged near the pond.
A body matching Romero's description was recovered from the pond on December 12, 2023, but has not yet been definitively identified by the Lake County Coroner's Office.
Romero's family is offering a $14,000 reward for any information that leads to her safe return.