Tucson, Brooke White 16

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Friends and family speak out

TUCSON - Wednesday marks two weeks since the now 16-year-old Brooke White went missing. The teen's mother says Brooke's birthday was Monday.

She's believed to be with Todd Hezlitt, the former Altar Valley wrestling coach criminally charged with having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student.

Brooke's Church in Three Points held a vigil for her friends and family in her honor.

Her father, Brian White, says the community support and prayer has been helpful. All he now wants, is his daughter to return home.

"This is a 38-year-old man who is taking advantage of a 15-year-old girl. As a father, I'm controlling myself and I will continue to do so, but he needs to bring her home."

Brian believes Brooke is in danger. He believes Hezlitt has manipulated her, and is taking advantage of her emotions.

"He's playing on her heart strings. As long as he keeps playing on those and keeps making promises I know he can't keep, she'll play along with him."

Brooke's Mom, Kay, says the past 13 days have been extremely difficult.

"Yesterday was her sweet 16th birthday, so it's been rough."

One of Brooke's closest friends, Tatyana Guy, says everyone that knows Brooke is shocked by her disappearance.

"She's pretty level headed. That's why we're best friends. This definitely threw us for a curve ball."

She says no matter what, she just wants Brooke to know how much she's missed.

"We love her and care about her, and we all want her home and know that she's safe."

If you have any information about Brooke White or Todd Hezzlitt, contact 911, 88-CRIME, or the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

www.kvoa.com/mobile/news/friends-and-family-speak-out-about-missing-16-year-old/

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Prayer vigil for teen believed to be with fugitive accused of sexual misconduct

The Three Points community gathered Tuesday night to pray for the safe return of one of their own. Brooke White allegedly ran away from home May 31st. Friends, family, and law enforcement fear the 16-year-old may be with a former wrestling coach wanted for sexual conduct with a minor.

The White family has strong ties to the Serenity Baptist church in Three Points which hosted a special prayer vigil.

It's not absolutely certain Brooke is with fugitive Todd Hezlitt, but a spokesman with the Pima County Sheriff's Department says Hezlitt and White went missing at the same time.

Hezlitt is a former wrestling coach for Altar Valley Middle School who was recently arrested for sexual conduct with a minor. Hezlitt bonded out of jail and disappeared.

"I only met him one time, and you know, you get that gut feeling," says Brooke's mother, Kay White.

She says Hezlitt has betrayed her daughter's trust.

"Brooke's been robbed of a lot of things. Ordinarily she's a good kid."

Brooke's brother, Blake White, fears his sister is in the hands of a dangerous and desperate felon.

"My worst fear is that he's going to do, either one, something to her, or that he's going to do something that involves both of them," says Blake White. "I'm sure that she's scared at this point, that if she does come home something's going to happen to her, and that's not the case."

Kay White says she had no idea about an alleged connection between her daughter and Hezlitt. She had this message for her daughter.

"All I want to do is hug you and hold you and tell you it's all going to be ok."

Deputies tell Tucson News Now they are checking leads in this case, but still do not know where Hezlitt may have fled. The Tucson Police Department is working on locating Brooke White because she was reported missing from within that jurisdiction.

m.tucsonnewsnow.com/autojuice?targetUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.tucsonnewsnow.com%2fstory%2f18773383%2fprayer-vigil-for-teen-believed-to-be-with-fugitive-accused-of-sexual-misconduct

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Brooke Lynn White

Teen May Be On The Run With Alleged Sex Offender

Teenager Brooke Lynne White from Tucson, Ariz., turned 16 on June 11, 2012. But where she spent that milestone birthday is a mystery to family, friends and law enforcement. They have their suspicions, though, on who she's with -- and that has them fearing for her safety and well-being. They believe she’s run off with an alleged sex offender, 38-year-old Todd Hezlitt, a former high school wrestling coach. Hezlitt is wanted by law enforcement for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in connection with charges of improper sexual conduct with a minor.

The U.S. Marshals are working with local police in Tucson to try and track the pair. The Marshals say White and Hezlitt may be traveling cross country from Arizona to Pennsylvania, where it's believed that Hezlitt has ties to a militia group.

White was last seen on May 30, 2012 by her parents when she went to bed around 10 p.m. Hezlitt was last seen by his family members on or about May 30, leaving with luggage.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Todd Hezlitt or Brooke White, call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

www.amw.com/missing_children/case.cfm?id=80258

[iquitos]

That part of town is about as rough as you can get. Meth labs, alien smugglers, and drug runners with plenty of border patrol too.

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Prayer vigil for teen believed to be with fugitive accused of sexual misconduct

The Three Points community gathered Tuesday night to pray for the safe return of one of their own. Brooke White allegedly ran away from home May 31st. Friends, family, and law enforcement fear the 16-year-old may be with a former wrestling coach wanted for sexual conduct with a minor.

The White family has strong ties to the Serenity Baptist church in Three Points which hosted a special prayer vigil.

It's not absolutely certain Brooke is with fugitive Todd Hezlitt, but a spokesman with the Pima County Sheriff's Department says Hezlitt and White went missing at the same time.

Hezlitt is a former wrestling coach for Altar Valley Middle School who was recently arrested for sexual conduct with a minor. Hezlitt bonded out of jail and disappeared.

"I only met him one time, and you know, you get that gut feeling," says Brooke's mother, Kay White.

She says Hezlitt has betrayed her daughter's trust.

"Brooke's been robbed of a lot of things. Ordinarily she's a good kid."

Brooke's brother, Blake White, fears his sister is in the hands of a dangerous and desperate felon.

"My worst fear is that he's going to do, either one, something to her, or that he's going to do something that involves both of them," says Blake White. "I'm sure that she's scared at this point, that if she does come home something's going to happen to her, and that's not the case."

Kay White says she had no idea about an alleged connection between her daughter and Hezlitt. She had this message for her daughter.

"All I want to do is hug you and hold you and tell you it's all going to be ok."

Deputies tell Tucson News Now they are checking leads in this case, but still do not know where Hezlitt may have fled. The Tucson Police Department is working on locating Brooke White because she was reported missing from within that jurisdiction.

m.tucsonnewsnow.com/autojuice?targetUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.tucsonnewsnow.com%2fstory%2f18773383%2fprayer-vigil-for-teen-believed-to-be-with-fugitive-accused-of-sexual-misconduct

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Missing Tucson teen found safe in Mexico


JUL. 26, 2012

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The search for a former Altar Valley coach who deputies believe ran away with a then 15-year-old girl is over. Both found in Mexico. Todd Hezlitt is in custody. The minor, Brooke White, is safe and will soon be back in Tucson.

Blake White, Brooke's older brother waited for 57 days, wondering if he'd ever see his sister again.

"I feel kind of anxious to just get her home and just have her here," White said. "I want my best friend back."

The manhunt for the man she traveled with former Altar Valley coach Todd Hezlitt was intense.

"There were leads all over the country," said Det. Gerard Moretz, with the Pima County Sheriff Department's Crimes Against Children Unit.

All clues led south of the border to Mexico, to Mazatlan. In the end, it was Brooke herself who reached out to her family via Facebook.

"At first we weren't sure it was her, we thought maybe it was someone giving us a hard time," White said.

It turned out to be Brooke and she needed help.

"I then got another phone call from her," White said. "She was trying to get into the Consulate in Mexico, but she was having trouble getting in."

Brooke made it to safety and will be home, reunited with her brother and the rest of her family by the weekend. 9OYS reporter Marcelino Benito asked White how much he's looking forward to his sister's return.

"I can't explain what I'm feeling," White replied. "It's been something that I've thought about for the last 8 weeks.

Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff's Department is anxious to have Hezlitt back in custody and anxious to learn how a former coach pulled off being on the run.

Benito asked Det. Moretz, "Does it surprise you how long they were on the run?" He replied, "Certainly makes me wonder how they found resources, and just the sheer determination they had to flee to another country."

White's family is working hard to bring Brooke home. She needs an expedited passport. The family tells 9OYS they have purchased her flight home. She should be back in Tucson on Saturday.

As for Hezlitt, the U.S. Marshalls are coordinating with Mexican authorities to bring him back to Pima County. The County Attorney's office will determine if more charges will be filed. Hezlitt is facing two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

www.kgun9.com/news/local/163927626.html

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Tucson teen speaks out about running away with an adult to Mexico

Posted: Jul 29, 2012 12:19 AM CDT
Updated: Aug 05, 2012 12:30 AM CDT

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Missing Tucson teen, Brooke White is now safe at home after authorities found her in Mexico.

White landed at a Phoenix airport on Saturday afternoon. The Tucson teen allegedly ran away with a former Altar Valley Middle School coach.

With her family by her side, Brooke gave a brief statement to the media. "This has caused my family enough destruction. It's time to man up."

She later invited Tucson News Now to her home for an exclusive interview - where she said it was her idea to leave the country.

"We crossed the border in Nogales and took a bus to Mazatlan," said Brooke.

She called the coach, Todd Hezlitt her best friend and someone she used to have deep feelings for.

It was a brand new lifestyle for the two. "We sold popsicles and sometimes I'd sing on the side of the road to get money to pay for food on the table," said Brooke.

Brooke says she felt safe the entire time but she had enough, so she and Hezlitt made the decision to reveal their location. She did so by sending her sister a Facebook message.

"When you're with someone in a foreign country for 2 months you can only take so much and see someone's true colors. He's a good guy, just not the person I thought he was," said Brooke.

Hezlitt is in custody and faces charges of sexual conduct with a minor.

We normally don't show faces of victims but Brooke's mother encouraged it. "She ran away like an adult so she should be treated like one. Why stop now," said Kay White, Brooke's mother.

www.wave3.com/story/19139495/tucson-teen-speaks-out-about-running-away-with-an-adult-to-mexico