Man held for questioning after UIC student found dead in parking garage

A man has been taken into custody in connection with the death of a female University of Illinois at Chicago student who was found unresponsive Saturday in a university parking garage.

Ruth George, 19, was found dead in a family-owned vehicle shortly after her family reported her missing to UIC police, UIC Police Chief Kevin Booker said. Officers found her slumped in the back seat about 11:15 a.m. after tracking her cellphone to the Halsted Street Parking Garage near Taylor Street.

The subsequent investigation determined George entered the parking garage alone about 1:35 a.m., with someone following closely behind, Booker said. UIC spokeswoman Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez confirmed that person was an adult male.

The man has been detained for questioning, officials said. Investigators believe George was “the victim of foul play.”

The man is not affiliated with the university, officials said.

An autopsy was pending Sunday afternoon.

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