A search team on Monday located a cell phone belonging to missing 24-year-old Thomas Howe during a search of a forest preserve near Libertyville, officials said.
Thomas “Tommy” Howe, 24, of Antioch, was reported missing to the Antioch Police Department.
The Vernon Hills Police Department said that Howe went to an appointment Saturday morning in Vernon Hills.
He was involved in a crash on Interstate 94 at mile marker 16.75 near Libertyville, police said.
Immediately following the crash, Howe fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction, police said.
Howe was last seen wearing a gray North Face jacket and jeans, according to a missing person alert.
Howe is described as a male white, 5-foot-8, with brown eyes and brown hair.
Howe left his personal cell phone in his car following the crash, police said.
An extensive search was conducted of Old School Forest Preserve in unincorporated Libertyville on Monday.
The search was led by the Antioch Police Department and aided by numerous local agencies, including the Libertyville police and fire departments, the Lake County Forest Preserve Police Department, Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the Wauconda Fire Department.
Additionally, 77 volunteers, five canines from Illinois Wisconsin Search and Rescue Dogs, and several drones took part in Monday’s search.
Search teams were able to locate Howe’s work cell phone in the forest preserve, according to the Antioch Police Department.
Nothing else was discovered during the search, police said.
A relative of Howe said that he was possibly spotted midday on Sunday in a neighborhood north of Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills.
Police said they could not confirm the sighting.
“We’re asking anyone who thinks they may have seen Tommy over the past few days to contact the Antioch Police Dispatch Center,” Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said.
“I would also encourage anyone who lives near the Old School Forest Preserve to check their home security footage from the weekend to see if they see anything unusual,” Guttschow said.
The police chief said that Howe’s disappearance is uncharacteristic of the man.
“According to his family, it is completely out of character for Tommy to go this long without contacting them. We are working closely with the family to help find our missing resident,” Guttschow said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or contact the CenCom Dispatch Center at 847-270-9111.