Missing Teen Found Dead After Days-Long Search as Family Demands Answers.
A heartbreaking discovery has brought a devastating end to the search for 18-year-old Rodrigo Montes, a student at River Forest High School in Hobart, Indiana, who had been missing for several days following a crash earlier this week.
According to Lake Station Police, the incident began when a pickup truck was found submerged in the Deep River near 27th Avenue and Wyoming Street just before 4:30 a.m. on Monday. When authorities recovered the overturned vehicle from the water, Rodrigo was not inside, sparking an urgent and widespread search effort.
Family members shared that Rodrigo had told them a friend would be driving him home that night. The truck involved in the crash reportedly belongs to that friend, raising troubling questions about the events leading up to the incident. Authorities later confirmed that the driver was located with injuries. However, Rodrigo’s brother claims the individual left the scene, returned home, and has since refused to communicate with the family.
For four agonizing days, hope remained alive as emergency crews from multiple agencies searched relentlessly. Divers combed through the river, while drones and helicopters scanned nearby wooded areas in hopes of finding Rodrigo alive.
That hope was shattered on Thursday at approximately 11:30 a.m., when his body was discovered.
Now, Rodrigo’s family is left not only mourning an unimaginable loss but also seeking answers about what truly happened that night—why he was left behind and why help was not immediately called.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing as the community grieves this tragic loss.









