ROSEMONT, IL — The Cook County Medical Examiner says the cause of death for a Wisconsin man who was last seen at a Crystal Lake restaurant, and was later found dead in his car submerged in a creek off Interstate 90 in Rosemont, is pending.
The Illinois State Police is investigating the death of Benjamin Orberto, who was first reported missing on Thursday.
Oberto, 45, of New Berlin, Wisconsin, was last seen while at a business dinner at 1776 Restaurant in Crystal Lake, according to media report.
On Friday, officers with the Rosemont Police Department found a Subaru Impreza with Wisconsin registration partially submerged in a creek at the bottom of an enbankment on the curve of the Interstate 90 eastbound ramp to Interstate 294 northbound, according to a news release from the Illinois State Police.
Divers with the police department found a body inside the vehicle, which was later identified as Oberto, according to the news release.
Oberto, who was married and had two children, worked as a wine representative, according to media reports. His wife, Laura Leatherberry, told FOX6 News that Oberto told her he’d be home after his work trip to the Crystal Lake restaurant on Wednesday night.
Surveillance video from the restaurant shows Oberto leaving at 8:56 p.m. Wednesday and driving out of the parking lot at 9:02 p.m., according to NBC 5 Chicago. He took I-90 toward his home and his phone last pinged on the Verizon network at 9:47 p.m. in Rosemont.
Laura Leatherberry, Benjamin’s wife, said she spent more than 60 hours “searching, wondering, and fighting to find” her husband before learning his car had went off the freeway while navigating “a challenging turn towards home on a dark, rainy, and foggy night.”
“Ben was not just my husband; he was a loving father, a cherished son, a caring brother, and a true friend to so many. His vibrant spirit, loving heart, and unmatched generosity left an indelible mark on every life he touched,” Leatherberry wrote in a Facebook post.
Illinois State Police was not releasing any additional information Monday morning into the investigation or Oberto’s death.
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