Police suspect foul play in the disappearance of a 36-year-old Bay Area woman last seen in a Fairfield CVS parking lot in mid-July.
A Fairfield Police Department spokesperson told ABC News that police “continue to actively investigate” Chantel Brooks’ disappearance and “based on what we have learned during the investigation, we believe Chantel’s disappearance involved foul play.”
Police have conducted numerous search warrants in pursuit of evidence, and “multiple coordinated ground searches involving search and rescue resources” through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, as well as “extensive aerial drone grid searches.”
“Our investigation will remain active as we continue working to find Chantel and determine what happened to her. We remain committed to providing answers to her family and our community,” the spokesperson added.
It’s unclear why police believe foul play was involved.
Brooks was last seen in the parking lot of a CVS off Travis Boulevard in Fairfield shortly before 2 a.m. on July 17, according to Fairfield police. Surveillance images show Brooks leaving her hotel job at the Le Nain Hotel shortly before 12:30 a.m. that morning.
Brooks was believed to be heading home, but her family has not heard from her since.
Brooks was last seen wearing a multicolored brimmed hat, a red zip-up sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and brown furry boots.
Her vehicle’s license plate was seen by a Flock camera in Oakland. She owns a black 2021 Infiniti QX50 SUV with California License Plate 9SBB134. The vehicle has not been found.
A close friend of Brooks raised the alarm after going days without hearing from her, prompting the woman’s brothers, Calvin and Kevin Robinson, to check the location on her cellphone, according to NBC Bay Area.
“Her location wasn’t pinging, it just wasn’t popping up,” Kevin Robinson told the outlet.
Brooks’ family has since been canvassing Fairfield and other parts of the Bay Area, handing out missing-person flyers as her birthday approaches.
“I’m trying to stay strong, but the more the time goes by, the more nervous you get,” Kevin Robinson told NBC.
He described his sister as “a happy girl” and the “life of the party.”
Brooks is described as a Black woman, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Fairfield police are asking anyone with information about Brooks’ disappearance or the location of her vehicle to contact the Fairfield Police Department at 707-428-7300, the Investigations Division tip line at 707-428-7600, or email case26-7208@fairfield.ca.gov.
