Maricopa County Sheriff’s detectives found that a missing eleven-year-old boy, Jacob Huggins, whose disappearance had triggered a search involving some 70 Sheriff Office personnel, had been illegally lured from his home by his mother and her boyfriend.
Shortly after 1 a.m. on September 8, 2015, Charles Mathews reported to Sheriff’s deputies that his grandson, Jacob, had run away from his house, located at 27240 N. 229th Avenue, Wittmann, AZ. The screen door had been cut and a small suitcase was missing, signifying that Jacob had left voluntarily and not been abducted. Additionally, Jacob had run away three times before.
Charles told the deputies he believed Jacob had left to be with his mother, Jamie Sanchez (DOB 8/23/1985), who lived in Wickenburg and had lost all rights, including visitation, to her son, after being incarcerated. Jacob’s grandparents had been granted full custody.
Contacted by Wickenburg Police, Jamie denied any knowledge regarding Jacob’s disappearance. However, Jamie, currently on Pre-Trial Services Release through Adult Probation for an unrelated prior criminal charge, wears an ankle monitor as a condition of her release. A check of that monitor revealed that she had left her Wickenburg home for a spot outside the Mathews’ house late the previous night. Asked by Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives to explain this, she claimed to have been merely checking on her children from afar, as she believed they were not being properly cared for. No evidence had ever presented itself to support her contention.
Deputies noted that during Jacob’s past disappearances, Jamie had been emotionally involved in trying to find her son. This time, however, when told in the middle of the night that he was missing, she had simply gone back to sleep.
Additional information gleaned from her ankle monitor showed that she had also traveled to a golf course near Vulture Mine Road and Wickenburg Way, where her boyfriend, Antonio Nuno (DOB 9/23/1977) worked. When questioned, she said she had gone to check on Antonio, believing he was cheating on her, but had turned around and gone home. Sheriff’s detective spoke to Antonio at his home and said he had no information regarding Jacob’s whereabouts.
Further investigation revealed suspicious details, including: Jamie listened to Sheriff’s Office communications over a scanner app on her cell phone; Antonio had communicated with Jacob via text and voice over his phone during the past week; and Jacob had left a message on the phone for Jamie, crying and asking his mother to call him back, stating that he loves her.
At the same time, a full-scale search effort was underway, deploying air, ground and K9 resources and personnel. Jamie and Antonio were transported to the District Three Surprise substation. Jamie continued to deny any involvement in Jacob’s disappearance and eventually invoked her Miranda Rights. She also requested an attorney.
Antonio, on the other hand, said he might know where to find Jacob. He accompanied detectives back to Vulture Way and Wickenburg Way, and pointed out a home of a friend of Jamie’s at 820 Aircleta Drive. Surveillance was immediately put into place and a contact team entered the home, at the acquiescence of individuals inside. Jacob was inside as well.
Jacob told detectives that Jamie and Antonio had orchestrated his running away. Jamie met up with Jacob after exciting the home, and took him to her Wickenburg home. The following morning, presumably after monitoring the Sheriff’s Office investigation, Jamie had Jacob lay in the trunk of her car and took to the golf course in Wickenburg, where she hid her son in a shack, providing him with sunflower seeds and water, telling him she needed to hide him from the police. Not long after, Antonio took Jacob to the Wickenburg home, where he was discovered, telling the residents to watch him.
Jamie and Antonio were arrested and booked into the 4th Avenue Jail on felony charges of Child Abuse and Custodial Interference.
Jacob was reunited with his custodial grandparents.