This morning at approximately 10:45AM, a body was discovered submerged in water, in a swampy area, just southwest of Slocum Lake. The body has been identified as missing teenager Abe Gonzalez.
Since assuming investigative duties in the search for the missing teen, members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office have spent hundreds of man-hours in the search for Gonzalez. Gonzalez was located today by a search party of sheriff’s detectives and sheriff’s auxiliary deputies.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and scheduled an autopsy for late this afternoon. No evidence to indicate foul play was located at the scene, however, investigators will learn more following the autopsy.
Sheriff John Idleburg and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office thank the following organizations that assisted in the search:
Wauconda Fire Protection District Dive/Sonar Team
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office K9 Team
Gurnee Police K9 Team
Buffalo Grove Police K9 Team
Mundelein Police K9 Team
Illinois Search and Rescue Council
All of the other volunteers who helped search
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Searches for Missing Island Lake Teen (issued 11/6/2019)
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has assumed investigative duties for missing Island Lake teenager Abe Gonzalez, 17, of the 3200 block of Poplar Dr, Island Lake. Gonzalez was initially reported missing by a family member on Saturday, November 2, 2019.
Island Lake Police conducted the initial missing person investigation. In the evening on November 5, 2019, the investigation was turned over to Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives. In the early hours of November 6th, sheriff’s detectives worked with the Wauconda Fire Protection District to conduct a sonar search of Slocum Lake, as the lake is in the vicinity of where Gonzalez was last seen. The search did not reveal anything of investigative interest.
The investigation shows Gonzalez attended a gathering at a residence in the 26700 block of North Morey Street, Unincorporated Wauconda, on November 1, 2019. Gonzalez left the gathering on foot around midnight and was described as being highly intoxicated. Gonzalez has not been seen or heard from since. Additionally, according to witnesses, his cellular phone ran out of battery power around the time he arrived at the gathering.
When Gonzalez left the residence he was wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white shoes. Gonzalez is described at being 5’08,” 176 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Today, in addition to a sonar check of Slocum Lake, several police canines conducted another search of the immediate area, as did sheriff’s deputies and auxiliary deputies. Sheriff’s detectives have been speaking with those who were in attendance at the gathering and also working on retrieving video surveillance from area residents and businesses.
At this time there is no evidence to suggest foul play.
An additional ground search will be conducted tomorrow morning.
Anyone who might have any information on Gonzalez is encouraged to contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 847-377-4250 or send a tip via: http://www.lakecountyil.gov/sheriff