Houston homicide detectives are searching a man’s home in connection with the disappearance of Brittany Burfield, last seen on June 25.
Burfield, 37, was last seen last month by her mother, Tricia Valentine, who fears the worst.
On Thursday, police say their investigation led them to the home of Alex Jerome Haggerty, an acquaintance of Burfield. They say they found some of Burfield’s missing items at Haggerty’s home and in the yard.
Haggerty has been arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant.
In an earlier interview, Valentine said that when she hadn’t heard from her daughter in days, she texted her. She then received strange text messages from Brittany’s cell phone.
“I felt queasy. There was just something odd. I kept asking her to call me, and the text message said the phone was broken and she was with a new guy she had met,” Valentine explained.
Valentine filed a police report. She said officers went to her daughter’s apartment, where they found things were out of order.
“The apartment was unlocked and she had things missing out of it. The cats have obviously not been fed all week, which she would never do because they were like her children,” Valentine said.
Police later found Brittany’s car near Richmond and the W. Sam Houston Toll Road in the Westchase area.
EquuSearch volunteers had previously searched around Deerwood Road near Harbor Oaks in west Houston.
Brittany’s sister Brandy Burfield said they were holding on to hope that she will be found alive.
“I’m feeling really grateful that all of these people came out to help me find my sister. I’m overwhelmed and scared and terrified and I really want my sister found,” Brandy said.
Brittany has a two-inch tattoo of a female Egyptian eye on the back of her neck.
She was last seen wearing black shorts and a black V-neck shirt.
If you have any information about Brittany’s disappearance, you’re urged to call police.
