Missing Illinois Woman Spoke to Police Days Before Disappearance

Palatine police have revealed that Alyssa Smith, 24, who went missing on September 30, spoke with Chicago Police officers two days prior to her disappearance. Smith was on a trip to Chicago with her boyfriend, Jacob Ray Caso, at the time.

Bodycam footage shows Smith interacting with officers on September 28. According to a police spokesperson, Smith declined to provide her details to the officers and did not accept police services during the encounter. The reason for the police approaching the couple was not disclosed, and Smith reportedly left the scene on foot.

Caso told investigators he last saw Smith, his girlfriend of 20 months, getting into a dark-colored Honda with two unidentified individuals. He returned to Palatine on October 1 after searching for her in Chicago and has been posting about her disappearance on Facebook.

Smith's mother, Rebecca, stated she had not heard from her daughter since September 27. Smith's aunt filed a missing person report three days after her disappearance. Rebecca mentioned that Caso returned with some of her daughter's belongings, including a baby blanket and a rabbit, but her clothes were missing from the bag.

Rebecca indicated that her daughter had been at a recovery house before the trip and that her phone was broken, leaving her with no means to contact family. She expressed concerns that Smith might be in an area where she could be trafficked.

Investigators have not identified Caso as a suspect. They are pursuing unconfirmed reports of sightings of Smith in Chicago, particularly in the West Garfield Park neighborhood between 1 p.m. and midnight. These sightings have not been officially confirmed.

Caso shared a TikTok video on October 3, suggesting the woman in the video, dancing and kissing a man on the cheeks, could be his girlfriend. The TikTok creator expressed a desire to help find Smith.

Smith is described as approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall with brown hair, brown eyes, piercings on her nose, septum, and eyebrow, and several tattoos, including a Pennywise clown tattoo on her left shoulder. She was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, light khaki pants, and white Adidas sneakers. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding Smith's whereabouts to contact Palatine police detectives.