Brissa Romero: Police believe missing Carpentersville teen was inside her vehicle when it plunged into water

UPDATE: Body found in water where Brissa Romero's car was located

CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. — After recovering the vehicle that belonged to a missing 17-year-old Carpentersville girl from a retention pond in Vernon Hills on Monday, police said they believe Brissa Romero was inside her Nissan Rogue when it plunged into the water exactly one week ago.

Police said they made that determination based off evidence at the scene and new surveillance video from a nearby fast food restaurant.

In that security footage, police say Brissa was seen entering the restaurant and walking out a short time later – alone – and entering her vehicle before driving away. Less than 15 minutes later was the last time Brissa's phone pinged near the location where her vehicle was recovered.

When an officer initially arrived at the pond to conduct a search, a pedestrian alerted him to something she spotted.

"As the first supervisor showed up on the scene to search the area, he met a resident who had been walking around the bank of this pond, and she pointed out a backpack that seemed to have floated on the edge of the pond," said Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick L. Kreis.

That backpack belonged to Brissa, police said.

The retention pond at its deepest depth is about 20 feet. That's where police located the submerged vehicle.

"The vehicle traveled as much as 60 feet into the pond," said Chief Kreis. "It really appears that this is a case where the driver, unfamiliar with the area, failed to navigate a turn and went through the intersection, down the embankment into the pond."

Brissa was on her way to a work holiday party at Bowlero in Vernon Hills on Dec. 4, but never made it. Police had launched search efforts on the ground and in the air – in hopes of bringing her home.

Brissa's sister, Dulce Romero, spoke at a Monday news conference and thanked the public for getting the word out about her missing sister. Although Brissa's vehicle was recovered, Dulce says she's still holding out hope her sister is alive.

"I still believe that she’s out there," said Dulce.

"If Brissa is listening to this right now, all of your family is really worried, we want to hear that you’re okay, your mom is desperate, too," said Brissa's aunt, Yeni Montilla.

Brissa’s family plans to continue their outreach and will hold a prayer vigil on Tuesday that is open to the public.

Although her vehicle was recovered, police say they have yet to find Brissa's body.

On Saturday, friends and loved ones organized a search party in Vernon Hills. They say Brissa would never run away and cared deeply for those closest to her.

"She was talking about my mom’s Christmas present with us on Monday," said Dulce.

Before the holiday party at Bowlero, Brissa had stopped at her cousin's house in Des Plaines where surveillance video showed her arriving around 5:30 p.m., then leaving about an hour later. Still, police said she never made it to her next stop.

"Even her friends that she told she was 2 minutes away, they never saw her," said Dulce.

After an extensive search on the ground and through the air using a drone, police on Monday, Dec. 11, began searching a pond in Vernon Hills – located near the intersection of Lakeview Parkway and Executive Way. That is where they recovered Brissa's vehicle, the Nissan Rogue.

Brissa Romero's Nissan Rogue, which has a sticker of a black cartoon coyote next to the license plate.

"This is not just kid trying to go and have fun. This is something more serious and Brissa would never go this far because she cares for her family. She would come back for her dogs, for her friends, everyone that she cares about," Dulce had told FOX 32 Chicago.

The family was offering a $14,000 reward for any information that could help them find Brissa.

The youngest of five siblings, Brissa graduated from Barrington High School last spring.

"She likes to talk to people, she likes to be outgoing," said Dulce Romero. "At the same time, I feel like people can take advantage of her kind heart."

Brissa, who attended Harper College, was studying to be a sonogram nurse and working two jobs to pay for school.