On the morning of July 4, 2023, 16-year-old Jarrett Brooks vanished from his family's home in Joseph City, Arizona. The previous day, Jarrett had been grounded for taking his father's vehicle without permission. On the morning of his disappearance, he confirmed with his mother that he was still grounded. Shortly after, between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., surveillance footage captured Jarrett taking a handgun from his father's safe before leaving the residence located in the 4400 block of
Boyce Drive. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt with 'AMERICA' written across the front, blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a dark-colored baseball cap. Jarrett is a Caucasian male with blond hair, brown eyes, and a faint cleft lip scar. At the time he went missing, he was six feet tall and weighed approximately 140 pounds.
The circumstances surrounding Jarrett's disappearance are concerning. After leaving his home, a neighbor reported seeing a young man matching his description walking through a pasture carrying a handgun around 7:00 a.m. about a mile from the Brooks' residence. When the neighbor attempted to approach him a short time later, he was gone. His family discovered he was missing and reported him as a runaway to the Navajo County Sheriff's Office around 12:30 p.m. that day. Jarrett left behind his wallet, which contained his driver's license, and any cash he had. In addition to his father's handgun, he was also in possession of a pocket knife. Authorities and his family have noted that he was educated in firearm safety and had no history of taking a weapon without permission.
The investigation into Jarrett's whereabouts has been extensive, involving numerous searches and the follow-up of hundreds of tips, though none have definitively led to his location. K-9 units were deployed in the initial search and picked up his scent before it was lost on the west side of town. There were reported sightings of Jarrett in Winslow, Arizona, approximately 22 miles from his home. In January 2024, the Navajo County Sheriff's Office executed multiple search warrants in Joseph City and Phoenix to review cyber communications related to the case. Authorities have considered the possibility that he may have traveled to Texas, specifically the areas of San Antonio, Austin, Temple, or Stamford. As time has passed, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has released an age-progressed photo to show what Jarrett might look like now. The Navajo County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate and asks anyone with information to contact them.Last Seen: Jul 4, 2023
