Divers searching lake in connection to missing Leesburg woman

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Divers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office searched Lake Harris Friday in connection to A missing elderly woman.

Bernadine Montgomery, 84, was last seen June 15 at her home on Palmore Boulevard in Leesburg. Yellow tape now surrounds that home.

Police have called her disappearance suspicious.

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Her blue 2005 Chevrolet four-door car was also missing, however, hours after Montgomery was reported missing, police found her vehicle abandoned at a park near Lake Harris.

Suitcases and a basket of clothes were removed from her car on Thursday, but police would not say what else they found.

Police closed Ski Beach during their investigation.

“Last night, we received a call from a concerned neighbor regarding the fact they had not seen Ms. Montgomery in the past few days,” said Joe Iozzi, with the Leesburg Police Department.

Neighbors told police about suspicious incidents in which they saw people going in and out of Montgomery’s home and driving her car.

"We've been kind of suspicious and watching the comings and goings of one girl,” neighbor Fay Craft said.

Bob Frazer lives near Montgomery and said he also he witnessed a man and woman coming from the home and leaving in the woman's car.

“I was a little concerned about that,” he said. “My wife said, ‘There’s a lot of red flags going up about that,’ so we told a couple people at Morrison Methodist.”

Police said they’ve interviewed two people in connection with the investigation.

Montgomery lives alone and uses a walker.

Anyone who has information on her whereabouts, please call Leesburg detectives at 352-728-9862.

Contact Myrt Price for more on this story.

Cox Media Group