Police Identify Body Of Man Found In College Park Lake

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJZ) -- University of Maryland students found a body while cleaning up a lake over the weekend.

Police now say they have identified that person as a retired college park professor who's been missing for several weeks. Prince George's County Police say the man found was 80-year-old Stan Fromovitz, a retired University of Maryland professor.

The students found his body Saturday morning during "Good Neighbor Day," an annual College Park community cleanup event.

The University of Maryland students came to Lake Artemesia Park to be good neighbors to clean up litter.

"I think all of us were in shock we didn't know exactly what it was until police got there and did identify it as a body," says University of Maryland student Abigail Peters.

He was reported missing from his College Park high-rise March 13 when neighbors noticed mail piling up.

A neighbor, Patty,  says she saw Fromovitz nearly every day.

"When he was walking with the backpack every day I saw him," she says.

"Very sad."

Prince George's County Police say they conducted an extensive eight-hour search for Fromovitz on March 16.

Investigators say they still don't know yet exactly what happened to the professor.

"I just hope that the family is able to have some peace of mind," says Peters.

At this time, police do not suspect foul play in Fromovitz's death. The medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

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