A body was found Sunday evening in the Des Plaines River in Buffalo Grove near where the missing Deerfield man’s bicycle and cellphone were found, police said.
Raj Rawal, 50, of the 300 block of Inverrary Lane in unincorporated Deerfield, was reported missing by his family on Saturday, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that a body had been located in the Des Plaines River Sunday evening around 6:30 p.m., but would not confirm if it was Rawal or not.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded and an autopsy has been scheduled. Covelli said that the sheriff’s department is no longer asking the public’s help in locating Rawal, who left his home on his bicycle.
Rawal’s family told police that he has recently been showing signs of depression and that he left behind his wallet and keys when he left the residence.
“Attempts to locate Rawal utilizing sheriff’s and other area police canines, drone, helicopter, and airboat have thus far been unsuccessful,” Covelli said Sunday morning in a statement.
“No further assistance is needed in locating Rawal. Thank you to those who shared social media posts in an attempt to locate him,” the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a new update released Sunday evening.
Sheriff’s deputies and detectives had located Rawal’s bicycle and cellphone on Saturday along the shoreline of the Des Plaines River Tail near Lake Cook Road and Milwaukee Avenue in unincorporated Buffalo Grove, which is the same area where the body had been located Sunday evening.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office is expected to the release the identity of the body after an autopsy is complete.