16 yr old Brooklyn Gittins missing from her home/Brooklyn found at a local Walmart after she calls her Grandmother/55 yr old Angel Garcia arrested on suspicion of child kidnapping

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AP/The Huffington Post | Posted: 01/10/2013 3:12 pm EST | Updated: 01/10/2013 3:35 pm EST

HERRIMAN, Utah -- Nearly 600 volunteers, dressed for the cold, showed up at a Mormon meetinghouse Thursday to help search for a 13-year-old Utah girl who disappeared without her shoes, coat or cellphone.

There were no signs of forced entry at the Herriman home where Brooklyn Gittins was last seen at bedtime Tuesday, said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal.

"She has run away once before," Hoyal said, describing an incident four or five months ago. "But one of the big concerns is that she left without her stuff."

The possibility that she left the area in a car or bus has not been ruled out, but detectives have no indication of that. Authorities became concerned after they spoke with a list of friends given to them by the family and all of them said they didn't know where she was, Hoyal said.

Authorities were especially concerned because of an approaching cold front, with temperatures expected to stay below freezing for days. The National Weather Service is predicting 3-5 inches of snow in Herriman Thursday night.

Gittins – described as 5 feet tall and 115 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes – was last seen wearing a T-shirt and black pajama pants with an image of a white Scottie dog, police said.

On Wednesday, a search helicopter and dog teams were dispatched, and police let residents know of the situation.

Police were dividing volunteers into teams to cover the area in a grid pattern Thursday. The 500 to 600 volunteers were broken into 50 teams. They've already canvassed the immediate area surrounding Gittins' house and were expanding the search area Thursday afternoon, Hoyal said.

Authorities will pull volunteers off the search once it gets dark or the snow storm hits, whatever comes first, he said.

Herriman is a Salt Lake City suburb located about 18 miles southwest of downtown.

Investigators were interviewing friends and acquaintances with the hope of learning more about the disappearance. They've received numerous tips about her whereabouts, but none has panned out.

"We're hoping for a good outcome," Hoyal said.

A tip line has been set up at 801-743-7280. Volunteers will deploy at 8 a.m. Thursday morning from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stake center at 5562 W. 13680 South.

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video above link.

Published: Wednesday, Jan. 9 2013 1:35 p.m. MST

HERRIMAN — Concern heightened as the sun set Wednesday on the search for a 13-year-old girl last seen in her bedroom Tuesday night.

If the girl isn't found by Thursday morning, police and the family are looking to dramatically increase the search, calling for volunteers to join them.

Brooklyn Gittins was in her home, 13912 S. Friendship Drive (5755 West), when she went to bed at 8:40 p.m., said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal. But when her parents went to check on her at 7 a.m. Wednesday, she was gone.

"We've checked all the places she would normally go," Hoyal said.

Brooklyn is believed to only be wearing black pajama pants with a Scottie dog pattern and a T-shirt with "Lake Powell" on it. She does not have her glasses with her, something Hoyal said is uncommon for the girl.

"We're concerned that she is out in the elements and it's been extremely cold," he said.

Craig Hiller, Brooklyn's grandfather, said the family is especially concerned the teen isn't prepared to be outside and appears to have left without even putting on shoes.

Hiller is asking Utahns to think about what they would do if their daughter or sister went missing, then join volunteers in the search.

"We're just trying to figure out where she could have gone," he said. "It's just not like her."

In a plea Wednesday night, Hiller said he hopes his granddaughter is staying with a friend or acquaintance rather than braving the elements, and he encouraged Brooklyn or anyone who may be caring for her to contact the family.

"If you're listening, we want you back, Brooklyn," he said. "All we ask is you call."

Hiller said he hopes his granddaughter knows no one is upset, and he doesn't believe any family strife surrounded the disappearance.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said a tip line has been set up at 801-743-7280. Volunteers will deploy at 8 a.m. Thursday morning from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stake center at 5562 W. 13680 South.

Searchers must bring photo ID and have been asked to dress for the cold weather.

Friends described Brooklyn as a straight-A student, saying they are "heartbroken" by her disappearance.

Hoyal said he was not aware of any signs of a possible break-in at the house, and no one in the home heard anything suspicious Tuesday night. He said investigators are still looking at all possibilities about what may have happened to Brooklyn.

Detectives have also made reverse 911 calls in the area to alert residents to the missing girl and officers have gone door-to-door. Her house borders a popular walking trail.

Brooklyn is a white female, about 5 feet tall and 115 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 801-743-7000.

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Weather concerns » 13-year-old girl still missing as major winter storm approaches.

By Kimball Bennion And Bob Mims | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 7 hours ago • Updated 1 minute ago

Herriman • As a storm bore down the community where a 13-year-old girl vanished more than 24 hours before, hundreds of emergency officials and community volunteers converged Thursday on Herriman in an increasingly desperate scramble to find Brooklyn Gittins.

Gittins disappeared from her home Wednesday night. The Unified Police Department said she was last seen wearing black pajama pants and a gray T-shirt; she did not leave with her shoes, coat or glasses. With overnight temperatures in the teens, authorities are worried about the risks of exposure to the cold, if the 5-foot-10, 110-pound Gittens has not found shelter.

"We know that she could be in danger because of the elements," said UPD Lt. Justin Hoyal.

Hoyal confirmed reports that Gittens had run away from home this past summer, but said she soon returned home. Without discussing details of that earlier disappearance, Hoyal would add only that the circumstances of the earlier incident were "not similar to those now" and that "the places she would or could have gone, she hasn’t gone there."

"At this point, we can’t rule out that she ran away or that something suspicious happened," Hoyal stressed. "There were no signs of a forced entry in her home. Our big concern is that she’s out there, ill-prepared with her clothing" for subfreezing weather conditions.

By Thursday afternoon, with storm clouds thickening in the northeast, the time to find Gittins was running short.

At 3:30 p.m., Herriman City tweeted that due to the incoming storm, no additional volunteers were needed.

"We will not be sending out any additional searchers," city officials said.

Hoyal said officials would call off the search when the snow storm arrived.

The search, which was suspended Wednesday night, resumed at 8 a.m. Thursday.

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13-year-old Utah girl still missing 2 days later

By BRADY McCOMBS, Associated Press
Updated 5:13 pm, Thursday, January 10, 2013

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — With a major snowstorm under way, a 13-year-old girl who disappeared two days ago without her shoes, coat or cellphone remains missing in the Salt Lake City area.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said Thursday evening that there are circumstances surrounding the case that concern authorities. Authorities had said earlier that there were no signs of forced entry at Brooklyn Gittins' home, where she was last seen at bedtime Tuesday. The teenager had run away once before.

"Clearly, there are suggestions that her departure was unplanned," Winder said at a news conference.

With the help of 1,000 volunteers dressed for the cold, police searched 17 square miles Thursday in the area near Gittins' home in Herriman, a Salt Lake City suburb about 18 miles southwest of downtown.

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by Chelsea Hoffman

What Happened to Brooklyn Gittins?

January 10, 2013 05:10 PM EST

Missing endangered teen Brooklyn Gittins hasn't been seen for over 36 hours, and with each hour that passes it's becoming more and more likely that she could be in danger. Over 500 volunteers showed up to search for the missing 13-year-old Utah girl on Thursday, but no success has been reported in these endeavors. So what happened to her?

Brooklyn was last seen by her parents at around 8:40 p.m. on Tuesday night when the family was going to bed. However, by the following morning the teenager was gone. Officials note that there are no signs of forced entry in the home, so what could have happened to this young girl? Did she voluntarily leave in the middle of the night — as teenagers are known to do? Even if she is a voluntary runaway, she is quite young to be out and about on her own and is vulnerable to predators.

On the other hand, it's odd that she would run away or leave on her own without any shoes, wearing only her pajamas, in the middle of a wintry night. This doesn't seem likely, and even her family says it's not in her character. Could someone have lured her outside, since there were no signs of forced entry? Perhaps some of the neighbors might have surveillance videos in their yards that might have picked something up the night she vanished.

In the meantime, it's healthy to have concerns surrounding the disappearance of Brooklyn Gittins. It's always odd when a child, even a teenager, vanishes from a home in the middle of the night without the parents being aware, especially when no signs of a break-in are apparent. Hopefully investigators are properly eliminating any and all possible theories in the disappearance of this young girl.

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The frantic search for a missing 13-year-old in Utah came to a close overnight after police found the teenager who disappeared with no cellphone, shoes or even a coat at a local Walmart. But what looks like a case of a teen runaway is being called suspicious by police.

Brooklyn Gittins' family said the young girl went to bed Tuesday night wearing her pajamas. When they awoke, she was gone, and even her trademark eyeglasses were left behind. She contacted her family late Thursday night.

Lt. Justin Hoyal of Salt Lake Unified Police told ABCNews.com that she is safe at home now.

"We believe that she did leave her house on Tuesday evening, and somebody picked her up and harbored her for the last two and a half days. We're going to investigate," he said. "She's 13 years old, and for someone to hold her is wrong. We'll do everything to find the person and bring [that person] to justice."

Brooklyn was unharmed and was still wearing her gray T-shirt and black pajama pants. She had no shoes or coat, and was not wearing her glasses.

"Brooklyn called her grandmother about 11:30 p.m. and told her that she was at the Walmart in South Jordan," Salt Lake police said. "Her grandmother then called Utah police department. We responded to the Walmart and located Brooklyn.

"The disappearance is suspicious and we are still investigating where she went and who she was with."

Police say there were no signs of forced entry in her home outside Salt Lake City, and none of the straight-A student's friends had heard from her after she vanished.

"There are elements of this case that are extremely concerting. We are hopeful that, however, that this is simply a runaway," police said Thursday.

Brooklyn has gone missing before. Her family says she ran away last summer, but soon returned

More than 500 volunteers, as well as dog teams, fanned out Thursday to search the area near Brooklyn's home. But authorities sent the volunteers home overnight, saying the storm that brought all the heavy snow was too dangerous.
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Thank Goodness she is Alive and OK!!

Would like to know what SHE is telling LE and her parents. I cannot imagine her "running away" w/out her glasses, a coat, shoes, her cell, etc. Something IS suspicious!

SALT LAKE CITY -- A 13-year-old girl whose disappearance this week without shoes or a coat in the chilly Salt Lake City area caused widespread concern was found unharmed, police said early Friday.

Brooklyn Gittins telephoned her grandmother late Thursday night from a Wal-Mart store in South Jordan, Unified Police spokesman Lt. Justin Hoyal said. The woman then contacted police and officers located the child.

"Brooklyn was not injured and is fine," Hoyal said. "She was still wearing the grey T-shirt and black pajama pants. She did not have on shoes, a coat."

Hoyal said authorities suspect that she was harbored by someone and police are trying to find out who.

She disappeared Tuesday evening wearing only pajamas and shirt. A major snowstorm Thursday prompted some 1,000 volunteers to join police in searching 17 square miles in the area near Gittins' home in Herriman, a Salt Lake City suburb about 18 miles southwest of downtown.

A key concern had been the frigid winter weather. "Investigators believed she could have been a victim of the elements; it's been extremely cold," he said.

The storm was expected to dump as much as 7 inches of snow and bring freezing temperatures.

Police have been interviewing the child, trying to determine where she was.

There were no signs of forced entry at the Herriman home where Brooklyn was last seen at bedtime Tuesday.

"We believe she left her home through her bedroom window and was picked up and harbored by a person or persons," Hoyal told The Associated Press in an interview.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said Thursday before she was found that the circumstances surrounding the case concerned authorities, especially because it appeared her departure was unplanned.

Gittins' grandfather Craig Hiller made a plea at the news conference that for her to come back. He said she's a typical teenage girl who is very outgoing in some cases and very subdued in others.

The first time she ran away, she came back a short while later, Hiller said.

"This was a successful investigation and we appreciate all the efforts by the community, public safety personnel, and the media in response to Brooklyn's disappearance," Hoyal said.
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I'm curious why she called her grandma and told her where she was instead of calling her dad or stepmom. Something doesn't seem quite right here.

Good question!
Updated: 1/11 4:23 pm | Published: 1/11 12:00 pm
Reported by: Marcos Ortiz

SOUTH JORDAN (ABC 4 News) - Missing for two days -- wearing nothing to protect her from the frigid cold, and leading family members to worry for her safety -- Brooklyn Gittins was finally found safe late Thursday after she got to a telephone and called for help, authorities said.

At approximately 11:30 pm Thursday, Gittins, 13, telephoned her grandmother from a Wal Mart store in South Jordan -- which borders the teen's home town of Herriman.

"She had called her Grandma there," says Brooklyn's grandfather Craig Hiller. "The emotions of relief, comfort, knowing that she was home is overwhelming."

The grandmother immediately contacted authorities and informed them of the girl's location. When officers arrived, they found Gittins still dressed in the same pajamas she had been wearing prior to her disappearance on Tuesday night.

"She was in pajamas, a t-shirt and no coat, no shoes and no eye glasses," says Hiller.

And while the search for Brooklyn is over, the sheriff says the investigation of what happened is just beginning.

"It is clear that we have more work to do in this case," says Sheriff Jim Winder.

Police say Brooklyn left through her bedroom window to met someone.

"We believe that person is someone who she is aware of," says Winder.

But over the past two days Gittins told police she was held against her will.
And the sheriff says if true that's where a crime was committed."

"13 year old children who walk out is one thing but a 13-year old who walks out and are picked up and transported and held for several days is a different kettle of fish," he says.

Winder says they have a person of interest that they are seeking and would like that person to come forward.

Brooklyn ran away from home six months ago, but her grandfather says it was nothing like this.

It was of course a little bit strange that she would disappear like this," says Hiller. "But we're very thankful that she showed up and is in good shape."

Brookyln's disappearance set off a massive search early Wednesday, both on the ground and from the air. Because she left home wearing only pajamas, the girl's family was especially concerned about her staying warm in freezing temperatures. When she left, Brooklyn was also without shoes, a coat and her eyeglasses. More than 1,000 volunteers and dozens of authorities spent Wednesday and Thursday searching for the teen.

Authorities say they weren't immediately certain of the sequence of events, but they promised on Friday that if Brooklyn was indeed kidnapped, they will find the suspect or suspects.

Officials also believe that whoever abducted Brooklyn most likely saw local media reports on her disappearance, and felt pressured to release her.

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Seems like the gp's know all about their granddaughter..was she possibly living w/them instead of her parents??

Maybe she just knew the grandparents wouldn't flip out on her like dad and stepmom might?
I wonder if she met someone on the internet who encouraged her to crawl out her window for some sort of "adventure"?
I'm also not clear on why there is still investigating to do on what happened - does this mean she can't or is refusing to tell them what happened? She's 13, she should be able to relay information - unless she is mentally disabled or something. The whole story seems fishy to me.

A 55-year-old Utah man has been arrested after he allegedly abducted a 13-year-old girl who vanished from her home last week without shoes or a coat and emerged two days later unharmed.
Salt Lake County Sheriff James Winder described Angel Garcia, from Draper, as a predator in the 'complicated' case of Brooklyn Gittins, who disappeared overnight on January 8 wearing just her pajamas.
After an extensive search stretching two days and involving more than 1,000 volunteers, the young Herriman girl called her grandmother from a Wal-Mart store and police picked her up.
Garcia was taken into custody on Wednesday night and is being held at Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of child kidnapping, harboring a runaway, obstructing justice and child endangerment.
Winder wouldn't give details about how Garcia knew Brooklyn, but told the Salt Lake City Tribune there was 'an association between common friends.'
He said police were not looking for any other suspects, and cautioned against speculation about the victim.
'I don't want to characterize young Brooklyn's actions here, and I don't think anybody else should either,' Winder told the newspaper.
'What we have to look at here is the suspect, who has in no uncertain terms behaved in a predatory fashion relative to a young member of our community.'

The sheriff reiterated that the 13-year-old was not physically harmed during the alleged abduction.
He said that Garcia was aware of the wide-spread hunt for Brooklyn while she was missing and that there was a 'significant' amount of premeditation involved in the plan. It's still unclear where Garcia allegedly took Brooklyn.

Arrested: Angel Garcia, 55, pictured, has been arrested after he allegedly abducted Brooklyn Gittins, 13, last week

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Another article with additional info (my comments at the bottom).

The girl had disappeared on Jan. 8 from her house at 13912 S. Friendship Drive (5755 West). Detectives believed she climbed out her bedroom window.

Late on the evening of Jan. 10, Brooklyn called her family to say she was at Wal-Mart, 11328 S. Jordan Gateway (400 West), South Jordan. But she "refused to answer questions" about where she was, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report.

On Wednesday, Brooklyn's mother called detectives to say her daughter was ready to talk, jail documents stated.

On Jan. 8, Brooklyn called Garcia on a cell phone that Garcia had provided her, according to jail records.

"He came from his home in Draper to give her a ride to his residence," booking documents stated.

An investigation indicates Brooklyn knew Garcia through common friends prior to the disappearance and "significant" premeditation went into the kidnapping, Winder said. He did not indicate what kind of common friends the 13-year-old girl and 55-year-old man had. Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal noted, however, that Brooklyn's family knew of Garcia prior to his arrest.

“It is a complex case ... It does have repercussions for all of us in this day and age about how our children communicate with and interact with adults given the nature of our society.”
–Sheriff Jim Winder, Salt Lake County

Garcia was aware of the extensive search effort and media coverage surrounding the case, and he moved the girl between several locations to avoid detection, Winder said. Police did not elaborate on the location of any of those hideouts.

On Jan. 9, Brooklyn told police she hid in a bedroom while Garcia answered a knock at the door. Police had come to the residence.

"She could hear the people at the door asking about her," the jail report stated.

After the police left, Garcia drove Brooklyn to a Harmon's store on 700 East and dropped her off, according to jail records. She hid in a ditch "for what seemed like a couple hours" while Garcia picked up his children from school, the report stated. When Garcia returned, he picked her up and they went back to Garcia's residence until Brooklyn asked to be dropped off at Wal-Mart.

When Garcia was interviewed by detectives on Wednesday, he told them that Brooklyn had run away from home and he picked her up after she called him and was "upset," booking records state.

Whether Brooklyn stayed with Garcia willingly is irrelevant, Winder said. Because of the girl's age, she was a victim.

"It's outrageous and it's shocking to our community and certainly to the family," he said.

The nature of the kidnapping is a "scary situation," serving as a warning to families, Winder said.

"It is a complex case, and it's a case I think the community will want to pay attention to," he said. "It does have repercussions for all of us in this day and age about how our children communicate with and interact with adults given the nature of our society."
The case has now been turned over to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office to determine if formal charges will be filed against Garcia.

As of Tuesday, Brooklyn had not returned to school. Both her grandfather and Unified police are declining to talk about what Brooklyn may have said about what happened to her or where she may have been for 2½ days.

"The investigation is still going forward. It will go forward as necessary to maintain Brooklyn's status and self-worth," grandfather Craig Hiller said.

Winder said last week that Brooklyn was physically OK, even though she wasn't wearing shoes, a coat or her glasses.

Hiller described his granddaughter's demeanor over the weekend.

"She's OK. Gave her a big hug. Very subdued. And I'm sure just trying to figure out what to do, being a 13-year-old girl," he said. "She's just kinda keeping to herself at this time."

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Garcia has children of his own that he picks up from school. I'm guessing these kids were maybe friends of Brooklyn's and she told them or their dad she didn't want to live with her parents any longer. Maybe she told of abuse or other issues, who knows? This could be just a do-gooder guy who had provided her with a phone in case she needed help and thought he'd help her out and let her stay with his family. She wanted to be at Garcia's house - she called him. She did not run away when hiding in the ditch like she would have if she did not want to stay with his family. When she called home from Wal-Mart, she called her grandparents and not her parents. She is now staying with the grandparents. She was not raped or hurt at all by this man. It's like he was harboring her from her home life.

His mistake was in not calling police, or at least her grandparents, IMO. Maybe she was afraid she'd be made a ward of the state if police got involved. They're still trying to determine if charges should be brought against Garcia, so obviously they don't think he was trying to harm her at all. Possibly he just went about helping her wrong.

In complete agreement, Sam. The only thing I can't figure out is why she didn't take her glasses, put on shoes and a coat if this was planned. I wonder HOW she survived in that cold ditch unless Garcia provided her w/a coat and shoes. However, when she was found at WalMart, she was barefoot and coatless.

It's pretty evident there is something going on w/her parents..don't know if they are abusive to her or are drug addicts or both - but the fact that she is w/her grandparents and called her grandparents to pick her up speaks Volumes.

There is a lot more to this than meets the eye.

January 17, 2013 2:58 PM

Brooklyn Gittins Case: Angel Garcia, Utah man, arrested in alleged kidnapping of teen

(CBS/AP) SALT LAKE CITY - A 55-year-old Utah man has been arrested in the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl last week that set off a massive search involving 1,000 volunteers in freezing temperatures.

Brooklyn Gittins was without her shoes or a coat when she crawled out of her bedroom window at her suburban Herriman home on Jan. 8. She called her grandmother two days later and officers found her uninjured at a Wal-Mart store.

Police arrested Angel Garcia of Draper on Wednesday around 7:30 p.m. He was booked on suspicion of child kidnapping, harboring a runaway, obstructing justice and endangering a child, Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said.

Garcia told police that an upset Gittins called him and he came to pick her up and then allowed her to stay in his house and sleep in his bed for two days. Garcia knew about the search, and hid the teen in his bedroom when police came to his house, Winder said.

Police do not believe there was any sexual assault.

Whether the teen stayed with Garcia willingly is irrelevant, Winder said at a Wednesday night news conference. Because of Gittins' age, she's considered a victim of a crime, the sheriff said, according to KSL-TV.

A charging document from the Unified Police Department states that Gittins used a phone given to her by Garcia to call him after she climbed out of her window.

During the second night at Garcia's house in Draper, the girl heard a knock and heard police asking about her. She went to hide in the bedroom while Garcia answered the door, the document said.

After Garcia denied having the girl, he drove her to a nearby shopping center and dropped her off to hide in a ditch for several hours. She was still wearing a T-shirt and pajamas with no shoes or jacket in the cold.He is there to help her but drops her off in a cold ditch sans shoes and a coat????

Garcia later picked her up and took her back to his house. Gittens then called her grandmother and arranged to be picked up at a Wal-Mart. Police located her after the grandmother contacted police.

The two-day search covered 17 square miles in the area near Gittins' home. The taxpayer cost of the search hasn't yet been calculated, Unified Police spokesman Lt. Justin Hoyal said.

When police interviewed Garcia this week, he told them that he saw the search on television and even talked about it with a neighbor. He didn't explain why he hid the girl when police came to his house, and then took her to a ditch.

Winder said Gittens and Garcia knew each other through common friends, KSL-TV reported.

Gittins hasn't returned to school, the sheriff said. Her grandfather, Craig Hiller, said she was "very subdued" over the weekend.

"I'm sure (she's) just trying to figure out what to do, being a 13-year-old girl," Hiller said, according to KSL-TV. "She's just kind of keeping to herself at this time."

The case has been turned over to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office to determine if formal charges will be filed against Garcia.

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By Bob Mims | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Jan 17 2013 07:40 am • Updated 1 minute ago

After the arrest of a 13-year-old Herriman girl’s alleged abductor, Salt Lake County Sheriff James Winder said the story behind the case was "complicated."

On Thursday, some of that tale came to light in a probable cause statement that accompanied a 55-year-old Draper man’s arrest and booking into Salt Lake County jail Wednesday night on suspicion of first-degree felony child kidnapping; second-degree felony obstructing an officer making an official search or investigation; class A misdemeanor reckless endangerment; and class B misdemeanor providing shelter to a runaway.

The arrest of Angel Vizuet Garcia came just hours after Brooklyn Gittins finally spoke to police in detail about her Jan. 8 disappearance, and what occurred between then and the night of Jan. 10 when she called her grandmother from a West Jordan Wal-Mart.

In the probable cause statement, Unified Police Department Officer Troy Martinez wrote that Gittins initially refused to answer questions when detectives attempted an interview at her Herriman home shortly after her return. However, on Wednesday, Martinez was called by the girl’s mother "stating she was now talking about where she had been and who she had been with."

Martinez arranged an interview with Gittins at the South Valley Children’s Justice Center. According to the statement, the girl told police Garcia had earlier given her the cellphone she used to call him the night of Jan. 8, and he then drove from Draper to Herriman to pick her up.

Investigators earlier had learned Gittins left in her pajamas and without shoes or her glasses — the same state she was found in when recovered two days later.

Gittins stayed in Garcia’s house while she was gone, at one point hiding in a bedroom when police knocked on his door as part of their search for her. "She could hear the people at the door asking about her because she heard her name mentioned," the probable cause statement alleged.

After that, Garcia allegedly drove the girl to a Harmon’s store near 700 East and 11400 South in Draper, where she hid in a ditch. Garcia then drove away, but returned about two hours later — his whereabouts during that period unknown — to pick her up again, the statement contended.

Shortly after her return to Garcia’s home, the statement alleged, the girl asked Garcia to drive her to the Wal-Mart, where she called her grandmother shortly before midnight.

Martinez wrote that he obtained a search warrant after the interview with the girl and arrested Garcia at his Draper home. Garcia was then taken to a UPD substation in nearby Riverton, where he allegedly waived his Miranda rights and agreed to answer questions.

"Angel initially said he had not seen [the girl] for several months or years," Martinez wrote. "Angel then admitted to picking [her] up at her residence because she was upset and called him for a ride."

Garcia told Martinez that he did not know, nor did he ask the girl specifically "about why she ran away," the statement claimed. He said he knew Gittins from when she had lived in his neighborhood a few years earlier.

"Angel said he did not know why he bought the cellphone for [the girl] but remembers giving [her] a pre-pay cellular phone. Angel said he did not speak with [the girl] very often on this phone, but it was the phone she used to call him to pick her up," the statement concluded.
He "doesn't know WHY he gave her the cell phone? WTH?
In a news conference Wednesday night, Winder said Garcia was taken into custody about 7:30 p.m.

After Gittins disappeared, police and more than 1,000 volunteers conducted extensive searches over two days for her in Herriman and surrounding communities.

Winder stressed that the girl was physically unharmed when recovered. He offered few details beyond those provided in the probable cause statement. The sheriff would say only that the girl and Garcia knew each other through "an association between common friends."

Winder cautioned against speculation, especially about the victim.

"I don’t want to characterize young Brooklyn’s actions here, and I don’t think anybody else should either," Winder said. "What we have to look at here is the suspect, who has in no uncertain terms behaved in a predatory fashion relative to a young member of our community."

Winder said the case has been referred to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office to determine specific charges.

A check of state court and prison records did not reveal any criminal history for Garcia.

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Arrest made in Brooklyn Gittin's disappearance case

Updated: 5:48 pm | Published: 1/16 10:53 pm
Reported by: Cristina Rendon

SOUTH SALT LAKE (ABC 4 News) – Authorities have arrested Angel V. Garcia, 55, from Draper in connection with the disappearance of Herriman girl Brooklyn Gittins.

Salt Lake County Sheriff James Winder Garcia was arrested Wednesday night at his home. He is charged with kidnapping, harboring a runaway, obstructing justice and child endangerment.

Winder said Garcia knew Brooklyn through friends prior to the kidnapping and had been talking to her for some time. He would not say how the two met.
"I want to be cautious," says Winder. "II can say the two knew each other prior to the kidnapping."

According to the probable cause statement filed at the jail "(Brooklyn) disclosed that she used a phone provided to her by Angel Garcia to call Angel for a ride from her residence. (Brooklyn) said she did know what time she made the call but he came from his home in Draper to give her a ride to his residence."

The probable cause statement also stated that Brooklyn was in Angel's residence and heard police come to the door. "She went into a bedroom to hide while Angel answered the door. (Brooklyn) said when the officers left the residence she left with Angel and he drove her to a Harmon's... and dropped her off."

The jail document also stated that "Brooklyn) said she stayed hidden in a ditch until Angel returned to pick her up."

Brooklyn was once again picked up by Garcia, according to the jail document and stated there until later in the evening "when she asked Angel for a ride to the Wal-Mart to call her grandmother."

Despite the fact that Brooklyn could have left on her own while at Harmon's Winder maintains that Brooklyn was a victim and Garcia the bad guy.

"She was in possession of Mr. Garcia," Winder says. "There were active efforts by him to harbor this individual."

Brooklyn's grandfather says the family was relieved to learn of Garcia's arrest.

"I’m just thankful they were able to track him down I imagine from information from their investigation and a little bit from Brooklyn," says Craig Hiller. "I’m just glad they’re going to prosecute with the full extent of the law."

Hiller says he was vaguely familiar with Garcia.

"He was an acquaintance I guess or a dad of one of her friends from a previous residence,"

Hiller believed the two families were friends while they lived in the same neighborhood in Midvale. The Gittins now live in Herriman and Garcia in Draper.

And when asked that it appeared Brooklyn had an opportunity to leave Garcia while hiding in a ditch, Hiller was stumped.

The case will now be turned over to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office to see if formal charges will be filed against Garcia.

Brooklyn was kidnapped from her home on January 8. She was found safely three days later at a South Jordan Wal-Mart when she called her grandmother.

Her disappearance set off a massive search last week, both on the ground and in the air. Because she left home wearing only pajamas, the girl's family was especially concerned about her staying warm in freezing temperatures. When she left, Brooklyn was also without shoes, a coat and her eyeglasses.

Winder said this case bring attention to the public about how children communicate with and act around adults.

He thanked the community for their support during search efforts to find Brooklyn.

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