Where was Brissa Romero last seen? Search intensifies as missing Illinois teen's car found in a pond

The search for 17-year-old Brissa Romero, who went missing on December 4, is still on. While Romero's whereabouts are still unknown, authorities recovered her car on Monday, December 11. The car was pulled out of a retention pond in Vernon Hills, near where she was last seen.

According to her family, she was last spotted on surveillance footage last week on Monday, December 4. She was allegedly heading to a holiday party at Bowlero in Vernon Hills but failed to show up. Authorities believe she was inside the car when it went into the water; however, they didn't find her there.

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Brissa Romero was on her way to a holiday party in Vernon Hills when she went missing

An Illinois family is living their worst nightmare after 17-year-old Brissa Romero disappeared last week while going to a holiday party in Vernon Hills. Since then, the police have launched an extensive search to locate the missing girl.

Police have tracked her cellphone location, which brought them to her vehicle, a Nissan Rogue, in the pond. A nearby resident also told cops they saw a backpack floating in the water, which was later identified as Romero's backpack.

Vernon Hills police contacted the Countryside Fire Protection District, who called for special teams to investigate the lake and recover the car. ABC 7 Chicago reported that cops discovered a surveillance video that captured Romero entering a fast-food restaurant about half a mile from the pond. She was also seen exiting the restaurant and driving away.

The video allegedly captured her 15 minutes before her cellphone pinged for the last time in the pond area. Cops believe Brissa Romero might have driven the car into the pond, since she wasn't aware of the area very well. The Carpentersville Police Department issued a news release stating,

"The Carpentersville Police Department continues actively searching for Brissa Romero, a 17-year-old female who has been missing for five days with no sightings or communication."

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Cops believe Brissa was inside the car when it went into the water

Police are investigating the vehicle because that is the most crucial lead they have received. Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick Kreis said:

"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."

The missing girl's sister, Dulce Romero, said:

"The vehicle has no body inside. They will be searching the pond and to see if Brissa's body is in there. Until now, in my heart, I still believe she's out there."

ABC 7 Chicago reported that Brissa Romero's family and police officials were expected to resume looking for her from Tuesday morning. Her family has also announced a reward of $14,000 for anybody who could provide any information that might help locate the missing teenager.