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 Monica Yantosh
myantosh@klbk13.tv
LUBBOCK, TX — A suspect has been arrested in the kidnapping report from earlier in the week. The person Lubbock Police arrested – Darene Brooks, 27, of Lubbock – spoke to KLBK News earlier in the week, saying he was the man in the surveillance photos, but he was just helping someone out.
On Friday, Lubbock Police said they arrested Brooks on a charge of aggravated kidnapping. On Tuesday, Lubbock Police released surveillance photos from the Stripes at 202 50th Street, after they said they received the a call of a 12-year-old girl. The girl claimed said she had been abducted earlier in the day. According to police, the girl said when the suspect stopped at the Stripes, she managed to get out of the car and hide in the bathroom.
Wednesday, Brooks called KLBK to say he had seen his picture all over the news, but that he did nothing wrong. He said he was the man in the photos, but that it was a misunderstanding, and he had only tried to help a girl out.
“I couldn’t believe, I couldn’t believe it even when I saw my face on the camera, I was like ‘ya that is me, but I wouldn’t kidnap anyone,” Brooks told KLBK. He said he had been jogging in Mae Simmons park, when a girl asked him for a ride. Brooks said he asked her if he could stop to get water, and that’s when he stopped at the Stripes.
“It needs to be dealt with, and it needs to be handled right and I know the cops they have to do everything in their job to try and find out what is going on,” Brooks said.
He said police did come to question him, and he said he cooperated. The police report mentioned an allegation of sexual assault, and Brooks confirmed he knew of the allegation. He said he voluntarily provided a DNA sample to police.
According to court records, Brooks has been arrested before, and some of those arrests deal with offenses including aggravated assault, assault domestic violence, and failure to stop and render aid.
Brooks is in the Lubbock County Jail and his bond is set at $250,000.
myantosh@klbk13.tv
LUBBOCK, TX — A suspect has been arrested in the kidnapping report from earlier in the week. The person Lubbock Police arrested – Darene Brooks, 27, of Lubbock – spoke to KLBK News earlier in the week, saying he was the man in the surveillance photos, but he was just helping someone out.
On Friday, Lubbock Police said they arrested Brooks on a charge of aggravated kidnapping. On Tuesday, Lubbock Police released surveillance photos from the Stripes at 202 50th Street, after they said they received the a call of a 12-year-old girl. The girl claimed said she had been abducted earlier in the day. According to police, the girl said when the suspect stopped at the Stripes, she managed to get out of the car and hide in the bathroom.
Wednesday, Brooks called KLBK to say he had seen his picture all over the news, but that he did nothing wrong. He said he was the man in the photos, but that it was a misunderstanding, and he had only tried to help a girl out.
“I couldn’t believe, I couldn’t believe it even when I saw my face on the camera, I was like ‘ya that is me, but I wouldn’t kidnap anyone,” Brooks told KLBK. He said he had been jogging in Mae Simmons park, when a girl asked him for a ride. Brooks said he asked her if he could stop to get water, and that’s when he stopped at the Stripes.
“It needs to be dealt with, and it needs to be handled right and I know the cops they have to do everything in their job to try and find out what is going on,” Brooks said.
He said police did come to question him, and he said he cooperated. The police report mentioned an allegation of sexual assault, and Brooks confirmed he knew of the allegation. He said he voluntarily provided a DNA sample to police.
According to court records, Brooks has been arrested before, and some of those arrests deal with offenses including aggravated assault, assault domestic violence, and failure to stop and render aid.
Brooks is in the Lubbock County Jail and his bond is set at $250,000.
Lubbock Police issued the following written statement Friday afternoon:
After several citizen tips and intense investigation, we were able to identify the kidnapping suspect in the still photos from Stripes.
The suspect was taken into custody at 5410 31st Street at approximately 3:54 p.m., this afternoon. He was arrested and transported to the Lubbock County Detention Center and booked in.
This is still an active investigation and no other information will be made available at this time.
Arrestee:
Darene Brooks – 2/9/88
· Aggravated Kidnapping