Police Believe SUV Was Intentionally Placed In Sloan's Lake

DENVER (CBS4) – Police in Denver are investigating after an SUV was found in Sloan's Lake Tuesday morning.

Police say the people inside the SUV fled the scene before officers arrived.

Neighbors called police around 9 a.m. to report a green Cadillac Escalade in the lake. Officers have since towed the vehicle but a break in the ice is still visible.

Area resident Maggie Baker witnessed the SUV in the lake. She said she knew something was wrong when she first spotted the Escalade even before it went into the lake. She said she noticed the SUV had serious front-end damage and its headlight was dragging. She said the SUV moved very slowly through the area before she noticed something even stranger.

"Well, the guy got out of the car and let the girl out of the car, and then the guy got back in the car and the driver opened the door and rolled out shortly as the car was going into the lake, shortly before the car went into the lake," Baker said.

Originally police we're looking into whether the Escalade was connected to a hit-and-run. Officers now say they've ruled out that suspicion. They also said they ran the plates and the car is not reported as stolen, but that doesn't mean the SUV wasn't stolen. The owner may not have realized their SUV was gone.

Anyone with information is asked to call Denver police.