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Missing Teen's Boyfriend Back in Custody


The boyfriend of an El Cajon teenager who disappeared on Aug. 4 is back in custody Monday, this time for a probation violation.

This is the second time Phoenix Police have arrested Kiera Bergman’s boyfriend, but he has not been charged in connection with her disappearance.

Homicide detectives are now investigating what they suspect to be “foul play” in connection with Bergman’s disappearance.

“Yes, we suspect foul play; however without Kiera, or any more details, we cannot say exactly what took place,” Phoenix Police Department Sgt. Vince Lewis told NBC 7. “The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are such that we are relying on assistance from our Homicide Unit.”

Kiera Bergman, 19, grew up in the unincorporated area of El Cajon but just recently relocated to Phoenix with her boyfriend Jon-Christopher Clark.

She disappeared on Aug. 4 leaving her home without her money, purse or car, her family said.

Clark, 23, was arrested previously Aug. 17 on 22 counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of forgery. He was then released with the charges against him still pending.

Clark wrote about the case on Instagram just hours before his arrest saying: “If the police even had a shred of evidence to say I had anything to do with this, they would not have let me go.”

Bergman grew up in the unincorporated area of El Cajon, and had very recently relocated to Phoenix about four months ago, her family said.

Even though Clark’s arrest was not connected to Bergman’s disappearance, her family told NBC 7 they are suspicious of Clark.

“I was excited, relieved, shocked,” Bergman’s mom told NBC7. “He was the last one that I heard saw her.”

“But you know we don’t know for sure until we find out what happened,” she said.

Coworkers told Bergman’s family she was at work on the morning of Aug. 4. She worked at “Progressive Leasing” in Arizona, about 10 minutes from her new apartment, her aunt told NBC7.

“He was the last person to see her. He picked her up from work. Her colleague said she was visibly upset,” said Chris Bragg, Bergman’s father.

Police said Aug. 9 they were “actively and vigorously investigating the disappearance” of the teenager, but at that time they said there was no evidence of any foul play.

Last week, police updated their statement, calling the case ‘suspicious.’ Monday, they confirmed their homicide unit is now investigating, but will not go so far as to call the case a homicide.

“This remains a missing person case; however, circumstances related to her disappearance are suspicious,” Lewis said 

Bergman’s aunt Mindy Tarantino told NBC 7 that Bergman sent a text message to her roommate at about 12:45 p.m. on Aug. 4, the day she went missing. No one has seen or heard from her since then, according to police.

Anyone having information regarding this case is asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Unit at (602) 534-2121 or caleb.morris@phoenix.gov. After hours: (602) 262-6141.

People can provide information anonymously by calling Silent Witness at (480) WITNESS, or for Spanish for (480) TESTIGO.  


Source: NBC San Diego

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