River Forest High School Senior Rodrigo Montes Found Deceased After Truck Discovered in Lake Station, IN River, Authorities Confirm

In a somber development, the body of a missing teenager was discovered in Lake Station, Indiana, as confirmed by local police on Thursday. The community had been on edge since the disappearance of 18-year-old Rodrigo Montes, a senior from River Forest High School.

After an exhaustive search operation, Montes was found around 11:20 a.m. by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Dive Team. His disappearance had been shrouded in mystery, with the last known sighting of him being at a social gathering the previous Sunday night.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

According to his family, Montes had informed them that he would be getting a ride home from a friend early that Monday morning. The search for him had persisted for several days, drawing concern and support from both local residents and the broader community.

The teen was last seen at a gathering Sunday night.

Montes’ family says the River Forest High School senior told them he was getting a ride home from a friend early Monday.

Hours later, Lake Station police say, a truck was found submerged in the Deep River near 27th Avenue and Wyoming Street just before 4:30 a.m. Monday. Police said “a male subject” was believed to have been inside.

The man’s family says the truck belonged to his friend.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office said it responded to the area of 29th Avenue and Wyoming Street in Lake Station to recover Montes’ body.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

A suspect is in custody with charges pending, police said.

“The City of Lake Station extends its deepest condolences to the family members affected by this tragedy,” police said.

Montes’ family said they spoke with the man’s friend.

“The vehicle was submerged and he supposedly walked home. He didn’t tell anybody about the accident. And now, he’s denying that he’s ever been involved,” said Saul Montes, Rico’s brother.

Chopper 7 captured video of dive teams in the water as Montes’ family and friends conducted an hours-long search on the ground. A black pickup truck could be seen upside-down in the water.

Montes’ family was just starting to plan his high school graduation party.

“Rico’s been the baby of the family. He’s the littlest one,” Saul Montes said.

His family released a statement Thursday that said:

“We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our entire community for coming together with strength, support, and determination in the search for Rodrigo. Your prayers, shares, and efforts truly made a difference during such a difficult time. Today, March 26th, the Indiana State Dive Team was able to locate Rodrigo. While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we are grateful that the family can now begin to find closure. Please continue to keep his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”