16-year-old Jarrett Brooks was last seen in Joseph City, Arizona on July 4, 2023. He disappeared early in the morning after leaving his family home on the Fourth of July.
Background
Laura and Brian Brooks had a son named Jarrett Thomas Brooks on December 7, 2006. He is the sixth child of seven. The last time he was seen, he was living with his family on Boyce Drive in Joseph City, Arizona.
A lot of ranchers in the area hired Jarrett to do general maintenance work. He was also in the Joseph City Fire District’s Explorer Programme. His mother taught him at home.
Disappearance
Jarrett’s parents found out on July 3, 2023, that he broke the CV axle by taking his dad’s car off-roading when he wasn’t supposed to. Because of this, he was grounded and his phone was taken from him between 9 and 10 pm, before he went to bed.
When Jarrett woke up around 6:15 a.m. on July 4, 2023, he asked his mother if he was not allowed to drive or if he was grounded in general. She told him that he was completely grounded and that he couldn’t go to any Fourth of July events or get his cell phone back.
Jarrett was caught on camera by his family taking a gun from his dad’s safe that morning, between 6 and 7 a.m.
Jarrett left his family’s home in Joseph City, Arizona, in the 4400 block of Boyce Drive, close to Interstate 40, around 6:30 a.m. At first, his family thought he had gone outside to walk the dog.
Jarrett Brooks never returned home that day and hasn’t been heard from since. His family filed a runaway juvenile report with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office around 12:30 pm when Jarrett hadn’t returned home.
Investigation
Around 7:00 am on July 4, 2023, a young man who looked like Jarrett was seen walking through the pasture at a neighbor’s ranch on Lacy Lane. He was carrying a gun.
After about 10 minutes, when the neighbour went to talk to the young man on Haul Road, he was already gone.
The police searched the area for Jarrett and dogs picked up his scent before it faded on the west end of town. Later, people said they saw Jarrett in Winslow, Arizona, which is about 22 miles away.
Jarrett didn’t have a bank account, and his wallet, which had his driver’s licence in it, was found in his car. Both a pocket knife and his father’s gun were with him when he went missing.
Whereabouts
The police did not find any signs of foul play in the disappearance of Jarrett Brooks. Unknown donors are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Jarrett’s safe return to his family.
The details of how Jarrett Brooks went missing are still not clear, and his case is currently marked as “missing.” His case has still not been solved.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Jarrett Brooks please contact the Navajo County Arizona Sheriff’s Department at (928) 524-4050. Agency Case Number: 2307-0135
