Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office officials say the body discovered Sunday in a lake in Brandon has been positively identified as Apryl Foster.
Foster, who was missing for 10 days, was identified through fingerprints on Monday.
Divers worked Sunday afternoon in a lake to recover a vehicle belonging to Apryl, who was a server at a restaurant in Tampa Heights and lived in nearby Brandon.
Deputies responded to the small lake near Open Field Loop and Rain Dance Place in Brandon just after 3 p.m. where they located and recovered Foster’s car, a 2009 Chevy Aveo, that Foster was last seen driving in Ybor City last week.
Police told Bay News 9 that boaters out on the lake over the weekend spotted something in the water.
A nearby homeowner with an outdoor surveillance system also found video of Apryl’s car turning in a small parking lot, then turning toward the boat ramp and driving into the water, Bay News 9 reported.
At a press conference Sunday, Foster’s parents thanked the police and community for the effort to find their daughter.
“God has blessed us with closure. Now she’s looking into the eyes of Jesus. The hours, the days Tampa PD spent with us, thank you,” they said.
Tampa police say a 33-year-old Apryl Foster, was found inside the car. The clothes matched the description of what Foster was wearing.
Autopsy results are pending to determine the cause of death, however police do not suspect any foul play.
Deputies say a neighbor saw a car driving into the lake in a surveillance video and called 911.
Foster went missing just after leaving her job at a restaurant in Ybor City on Feb. 12.
