ALBUQUERQUE, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Parking attendants at the University of New Mexico ticketed a vehicle three times last week without noticing a dead woman in the driver's seat, officials said.
The body of Rochelle Cremona-Simmons, 47, reported missing by her husband two weeks ago, was found by police Thursday inside a rental vehicle parked in a university parking lot, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Police said they believe the woman committed suicide by overdose.
Cremona-Simmons, visiting from Virginia, was reported missing Nov. 4, Albuquerque police Sgt. Trish Hoffman said.
Police alerted law enforcement officials across the state to help locate the missing woman's rented silver Buick Enclave.
UNM parking attendants, who do not have access to such alerts, ticketed the sport utility vehicle for parking without a UNM parking permit last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The attendants placed tickets on the vehicle's windshield without noticing the body of Cremona-Simmons in the driver's seat, which was reclined, Hoffman said.
The windows of the vehicle were dark and dirty, making seeing inside difficult, Hoffman said.
At a glance, Cremona-Simmons appeared to be sleeping, she said.
"From far away you wouldn't be able to tell anyone was in there. Actually, because the seat was reclined, you couldn't see her anyway unless you were right up on the vehicle," she said.
Because of parking staff scheduling, a different attendant probably wrote each of the tickets placed on the vehicle, UNM spokesman Benson Hendrix said.
UPI
