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.
Chantel Brooks, 36, vanished after leaving her job at the Le Nain Hotel in Fairfield, California, and her case has now shifted from a missing-person investigation to an active foul-play probe, Fairfield police confirmed in a statement this week. Brooks was last captured on surveillance video leaving her hotel job shortly before 12:30 a.m. On July 17, and police say she was spotted in the parking lot of a CVS off Travis Boulevard shortly before 2 a.m. That same morning.
Brooks was believed to be heading home, but her family has not heard from her since that night. Her brothers, Calvin and Kevin Robinson, became involved after a close friend raised the alarm about days of silence, prompting the brothers to check the location on Brooks’ cellphone. “Her location wasn’t pinging, it just wasn’t popping up,” Kevin Robinson said Bay Area.
The Fairfield Police Department said in a statement that detectives “continue to actively investigate” Brooks’ disappearance. “Based on what detectives have learned during the investigation, it is believed Chantel’s disappearance involved foul play,” the department said. Police have not disclosed what specific evidence led them to this determination.
The investigation has involved extensive resources. Police have conducted numerous search warrants in pursuit of evidence, along with “multiple coordinated ground searches involving search and rescue resources” through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Investigators also deployed “extensive aerial drone grid searches” across the area.
Brooks’ vehicle, a black 2021 Infiniti QX50 SUV with California license plate 9SBB134, remains missing. A Flock camera in Oakland captured the vehicle’s license plate, but the SUV itself has not been located, police said. Brooks was last seen wearing a multicolored brimmed hat, a red zip-up sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and brown furry boots.
Kevin Robinson has been vocal about the family’s anguish as the search stretches on. “I’m trying to stay strong, but the more the time goes by, the more nervous you get,” he said Bay Area. He described his sister as “a happy girl” and the “life of the party.” The family has been canvassing Fairfield and other parts of the Bay Area, handing out missing-person flyers as Brooks’ birthday approaches.
Fairfield police emphasized their commitment to resolving the case. “Our investigation will remain active as we continue working to find Chantel and determine what happened to her,” a spokesperson said. “We remain committed to providing answers to her family and our community.”
Brooks is described as a Black woman, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. The circumstances of her disappearance have drawn increasing attention as the weeks pass without resolution.
In the viral moment that first drew notice to the case, Brooks’ friend grew concerned after not hearing from her for several days and contacted the family. The brothers’ discovery that her phone was no longer traceable escalated the urgency. The case has since gained traction locally as the family continues their own search efforts alongside the official investigation, with community members joining the effort to distribute flyers and raise awareness across the Bay Area.
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 [email protected].