Authorities have identified the body of a man found in a pond after he led Lake County sheriff’s deputies on a brief chase in a stolen vehicle before crashing near Zion.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office pursued a stolen vehicle around 4:30 a.m. Saturday from Route 173 and Delany Road in Wadsworth.
The vehicle refused to stop after a traffic stop was attempted.
Police officials said the chase was discontinued but the deputy saw the suspect vehicle in front of him.
The vehicle failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway and crashed at Russell Road and Delany Road in unincorporated Zion.
The deputy arrived at the crash scene and saw the driver flee from the car on foot, police officials said.
A search was conducted with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department.
The search involved the deployment of canines and drones. The suspect was not located.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was notified and responded to investigate the crash since it involved an earlier pursuit.
The Pleasant Prairie Police Department received a report around 9:21 a.m. Saturday for a jacket floating in a pond east of the crash scene on the Wisconsin side of the border.
Officers arrived and located a body floating in the pond and notified Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue Department.
The Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue and Pleasant Prairie Police Department recovered the body and initiated an investigation.
Sheriff’s officials said over the weekend the body was believed to be the suspect who fled based on the clothing.
The Pleasant Prairie Police Department said Monday that the body had been positively identified as Joseph O. Rabaca, 40, of Chicago.
Rabaca, who is suspected to have died from drowning, also had ties to Kenosha.
The incident remains under investigation.