NOTE: Darene Brooks claimed all along he was innocent. On 3/21/2016 the charge of attempted aggravated kidnapping against him was dropped for insufficient evidence according to court records.
By: Meredith Hillgartner
mhillgartner@klbk13.tv
LUBBOCK,TX- A 27-year-old Lubbock man is the lone suspect to a Lubbock police investigation of an attempted kidnapping earlier this week.
Problem is, the man said he did not commit the crime.
It all started Tuesday afternoon around 3 o’ clock. Darene said he was jogging around Mae Simmons Park, when a young girl walked up to him asking for a ride.
“She was like ‘Can you give me a ride? Do you have a car?'” Darene said. “And I was like ‘Yeah I got a car, where do you need a ride too? and she was like ‘Butler Park.'”
Darene said he was thirsty after his run and wanted to get a water. He said he asked the girl if they could stop and she agreed, so Darene pulled into the Stripes Convenience store on 50th and Avenue A.
“Next thing you know I got out of my car and I went back and she wasn’t there,” Darene said. “I figured she knew somebody or she found somebody that she knew and took off with them.”
Darene said he went to pick up his wife and headed home. Soon after there was a knock at his door and Lubbock police standing outside.
“So I opened the door and talked to him,” Darene said. “And he was like ‘I am going to ask you a couple of questions. I am going to take you downtown.'”
Darene said he cooperated with police and they told him they would stay in touch.
Then Tuesday night, Darene saw his face on the news.
“I couldn’t believe it, I couldn’t believe it even when I saw my face on the camera,” Darene said. “I was like ‘Yeah that is me but I wouldn’t kidnap nobody.”
Darene said the whole thing was just a big misunderstanding. He thought he was just helping out a kid in need.
“I just noticed that she was young and that part of the day, everybody is at school,” Darene said. “So I was really just trying to talk some sense into her like this is not what you want to do, I have been through this before and just try to get her back home. Like it wasn’t nothing extra, none of that.”
Lubbock police told EverythingLubbock.com on Wednesday that they still need more information on the incident. Darene is still their number one person of interest and they want to keep his picture up for people to see.
Darene said he would like to sit down with all parties involved to try and figure out what happened. He said if anyone saw Darene and/or the girl at the park, he would like them to call Lubbock police.
The crimeline number is (806)741-1000.