Trinity Brey, Mother Who Went Missing With Three-Year-Old Son, Could Face Charges of Child Endangerment and Felony Hit and Run

Bray looks back at her three year old son who is receiving medical treatment after being outside in the elements for over 72 hours...

Trinity Brey looked back at her three-year-old son who was receiving medical treatment after being outside in the elements for over 72 hours. [All photos courtesy of Lauren Schmitt and KMUD News who were on the scene December 5 soon after the missing woman and child were located.]

California Highway Patrol’s Sergeant Matthew Harvey revealed that new information investigators have gathered since Trinity Brey and her son were found on Friday, December 4 have prompted a criminal investigation that could lead to Brey being charged with child endangerment and felony hit and run.

Trinity Brey is the mother who went missing in northern Mendocino County along with her three-year-old son after a single-vehicle accident on November 30. Four days later, Brey and her son were found on the side of Highway 101.

Sergeant Harvey said an analysis of the crashed vehicle indicated that Trinity Brey, was, in fact, the driver of the vehicle. Inside of that vehicle, Sergeant Harvey said a “controlled substance was found.” He would not be specific as to which substance.

Sergeant Harvey also said that since the first day of the search for Brey and her three-year-old boy, Child Welfare Services has been investigating the circumstances and confirmed they had continued their investigation at the hospital Brey and her son was taken to after they were found.

Sergeant Harvey said Brey has told investigators that after the single-vehicle car crash, she and her child fell down a steep embankment, falling into the Eel River, and found an abandoned marijuana grow across the river to take refuge in throughout the four days they were missing. Investigators have been unable to corroborate these claims, said Sergeant Harvey.

Another piece of information from Harvey was the circumstances of finding Trinity Brey. He said that on December 4, CHP dispatch received a flurry of calls regarding a naked woman sitting in the middle of Highway 101.

Sergeant Harvey said initial reports on November 30 indicated at approximately 12:00 p.m., a single-vehicle accident occurred when a gray Toyota Sienna crashed into a tree going northbound on Highway 101. Officers reporting to the scene found one adult male in the vehicle who had sustained major injuries later transported to an area hospital.

Witnesses told dispatch an adult female was seen walking away from the single-vehicle accident either carrying or walking with the child. Based on these reports, CHP officers canvassed Highway 101 assisted by Leggett Valley Volunteer Fire Department who hiked the embankments alongside the highway.

After being unable to locate the missing mother and child on the day of the accident, Sergeant Harvey said CHP’s “initial thought and hope was mom had solicited help from a driver to take her son to a hospital.” Sergeant Harvey explained that as time went by, “we did not get any phone calls from local hospitals and when we contacted those hospitals, no hospitals had received the mom and child.”

As night descended on the first day of Brey and her child’s disappearance, Sergeant Harvey said CHP officers used a thermal imaging camera, used to detect body heat, to scan the areas alongside Highway 101 making several passes near the area the mother and child had last been seen.

On December 2, Sergeant Harvey said CHP deployed a helicopter to survey the area for any signs of the missing mother and son to no avail.

That day, Sergeant Harvey said CHP received information from a witness that substantially increased the urgency to locate the mother and child: the child was visibly injured when he was walking away from the scene with his mother.

At the point of learning about the possibility of an injured child, Sergeant Harvey said CHP employed Mendocino County Search and Rescue to assist in locating the missing pair. Mendocino County Search and Rescue conducted a “detailed, two-day search of the area using ground searchers, aerial drones equipped with infrared cameras” yet nothing substantial was found.

It was at approximately 11:00 a.m. on December 4 when CHP began to receive reports of a naked woman sitting in the middle of Highway 101, according to Sergeant Harvey. A driver stopped to speak with the distressed woman who indicated there was a child down the embankment. Upon receiving these reports, Sergeant Harvey said CHP officers were “confident that it would be Brey and the child.”

Sergeant Harvey said first responders found the child significantly down the embankment along Highway 101 and one witness had told CHP the child was “holding onto a log.”

After the pair were found, both were taken to a nearby hospital. When asked whether either Brey or her son had injuries, Sergeant Harvey said they both appeared to be “in good shape.”

Sergeant Harvey said this case is specifically difficult to speak about because “we have a young child who is potentially the victim of a crime. We want to be sensitive with that information. Initially, we put out more information about the child than we would because he was missing.”

He said that California Highway Patrol’s goal is transparency and his agency has to navigate the “fine line between transparency and maintaining the integrity of an active and sensitive investigation.”

Photo album embedded here courtesy of KMUD News. Click on the photos to enlarge and click through the entire album.

Earlier Chapters:

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

43 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Elvis Costanza
Guest
Elvis Costanza
3 years ago

…aaaannnddd there it is. Tweeker?

Maybe that child will have a chance at a decent life now.

Pretty spectacular way for the mother to hit bottom.

No Joke
Guest
No Joke
3 years ago
Reply to  Elvis Costanza

A decent life if decent foster parents can be found. Unfortunately there’s a shortage of those and we need more decent, honest, normal people to step up as foster parents.

Buzz
Guest
Buzz
3 years ago

Well, at least they’re physically alright.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5hLQKY0eQaU

Nemo
Guest
Nemo
3 years ago
Reply to  Buzz

Brilliant!! Love that song.

Ping
Guest
Ping
3 years ago

So they were in the woods all those days naked brrrrr ! I suspect cell” phone data may say otherwise .Glad the kids ok physically.

Professional Writer in Eureka
Guest
Professional Writer in Eureka
3 years ago

There was no “missing person.” RHBB and LOCO love to post this kind of fake news. They are the CNN and MSNBC of the North Coast.
This criminal and Mom of the Year took off after causing a crash. No “accident” either. Every “missing person” posted online up here is up to no good, involved in drugs, working on a grow, mentally incapacitated and off their meds, etc. These idiots cause their own “missing” case. It’s like posting a story on a suicide and saying “she is missing over the side of the bridge. Check back for more news on this missing person over the bridge.”
This is not why we have independent media. This is the exact opposite of diligent journalism. Stop simply posting press releases and nonsense and do some actual reporting.
But you are too busy shilling for Big Weed Farm-a.

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
3 years ago

Don’t quit your day job….

Laytonvillain
Guest
Laytonvillain
3 years ago

Well you’re not very kind, now, are you?

Crikey!
Guest
Crikey!
3 years ago

The Writing Guild of Eureka has called and they ask that you stop embarrassing them…

Buster
Guest
Buster
3 years ago

Well…that’s about as untrue as saying that Joe Biden did not win the 2020 Presidential election.

MARILYN
Guest
MARILYN
3 years ago

Professional? Laughable! Thanks for showing us your writing “skills”.

Puest
Guest
Puest
3 years ago

If they do such a lousy job, & you’re supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread, why don’t YOU start a News Blog then??? Inquiring minds, or in my case what little is left of a mind, want to know!!!

thetallone
Guest
thetallone
3 years ago

Methinks you are off your meds.

commenter
Guest
commenter
3 years ago

You’ve got a point PW.
This site often reflects the slogan of the 11pm news: “If it bleeds it leads.” And a lot of those stories are popular with the local yokels who Kym will defend when someone points out their bad grammar, incorrect usage, and spelling, reflecting lack of education or obsession with their phones. (Actually there are college graduates on the Kmud news who don’t know basic grammar rules so education ain’t what it used to be I guess.)
(Why? Because Kym’s go-to option is to be nice, which is pretty sweet, really.)
So be it.
Life goes on.

Parnells
Guest
Parnells
3 years ago

As sure as the sun rises and sets, Ms. Kemp relentlesssly shills for all things marijuana. Boring.

Laytonvillain
Guest
Laytonvillain
3 years ago
Reply to  Parnells

Boring maybe, unless you grow it, sell it, or use it yourself. I understand you might not. Seems like a few of us around here do though.

There are lots of other websites you can look at. Not all of them are about marihuana. Some of them have videos of people having sex that you can watch, some you can buy books from, there are some other websites devoted to dogs and all things related to dogs. The internet is a big place!

This website, is a local news blog focusing on “the emerald triangle.”

The largest, greatest, and most specialist marihuana growing region in the whole wide world.

So there might be some stories about the weed.

fred krissman
Guest
fred krissman
3 years ago
Reply to  Laytonvillain

Well said!

Catbus1974
Guest
Catbus1974
3 years ago
Reply to  Laytonvillain

Don’t forget about the cats!

Walter
Guest
Walter
3 years ago
Reply to  Parnells

Then Don’t read it. Pretty Simple

Frito Lay
Guest
Frito Lay
3 years ago

@Professional Writer in Eureka…then start your own news blog! You’ll be provided with the same press releases and statements Kym {and} Lauren/KMUD receive. They don’t trump report, change the facts, make shit up…because that would be fake news. They possess a trait that has suffered severe degradation in the face of Donald Trump…integrity!

Gazoo
Guest
Gazoo
3 years ago

Can you show us how it’s done please? We here in the Humboldt nation love Kym kemp and all she does for our community. Matter of fact we would love for Kym to have a few clones of her self as we would have that much more information on things we want to hear about.
Your tittle says a lot but you show zero about your writing skills.
Send a link to your blog please so we can criticize your work as well. Thank you and have a wonderful day with your shitty attitude.

Concerned about the truth.
Guest

You’re facts are NOT facts when it cones to this incident. Be careful not to be that “Fake News” department.

Ben Round
Guest
Ben Round
3 years ago

Since they seem to be relatively uninsured, Brey has a extraordinary opportunity to turn her life around. There is a lot of public support for her after what they endured (even if it was a self-inflicted situation). If the authorities think she deserves punishment, I hope they offer her a treatment program, and probation (if she is guilty and it is warranted) so she is motivated to do the right thing, for herself and her son.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Ben Round

It’s not really relevant if they’re relatively insured or not. JK. The thread comment pattern I notice is divided along party lines. if you’re a liberal you want to see this swept under the rug swiftly because it doesn’t fit the narrative, while the rest seek accountability

Willow Creeker
Guest
Willow Creeker
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Liberals want this story swept under the rug? Are you kidding? Man you are really drinking the koolaid. Most people, liberal or not, don’t buy into the division that trumpism has created in our country, we just want it back to normal.
Good luck, woman and child. I drove past the accident, it looked terrible. I also drove back past the next day, and only saw a couple CHP cars pulled over presumably looking for woman and child.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Willow Creeker

Interesting that you discuss politics and the accident to distract from the real debate here which is all the crazy circumstances about and after the crash. Sweep under the rug much? Slept four days in abandoned pot garden( insert laugh emoji here) and show up naked but otherwise in good shape. Y’all’s crazy!

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Seriously, do you want every commenter here to point out every single thing, like follow a list of talking points because you think they should?
Sweeping under the rug is ignoring the complete breakdown of Trumps mental health .
Actually, he’s just playing his base dragging this out so he can grift donations off of them leading them to think he’s going to actually get four more years if only every one just hang in there. This is what happens when you put a criminally minded narcissist in a position of power.
He plays his base like a violin, can sucker them into believing anything.

Frito Lay
Guest
Frito Lay
3 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

👍right on!

Catbus1974
Guest
Catbus1974
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Accountability for what?

Another guest
Guest
Another guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Ben Round

Guest, I don’t see the divide you are describing. First, no one has mentioned their political party, so there’s no way to know that.

Also, it looks like there may have been a crime, such as leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence, or endangering a child. Seems to me that people are glad that they were both found alive and unharmed, and accept that at the end of an investigation, the mother might be charged with crimes. And, if it was drug-related, other commenters mention being hopeful that this would be a wake-up call to get the help she needs, although it’s all just speculation.

Just because one comment is critical of the driver, while another is glad that she and her child were found, doesn’t mean those two commenters disagree, or have different politics.

trackback

[…] California Highway Patrol’s Sergeant Matthew Harvey said that new information have prompted a criminal investigation that could lead to Brey being charged with child endangerment and felony hit and run. Click here to read more. […]

Alf
Guest
Alf
3 years ago

Regardless of reason, whether drugs are involved and there is an addiction or not, if you commit a crime you must in some way pay for it. Don’t forget the passenger who did have injuries. When there are injuries to a passenger and then child endangerment as well as fleeing the scene of an accident it is exponentially worse. It may indeed be an opportunity for her to start over, but not out in the community. It must be in a lockdown situation whether it is jail/prison, rehabilitation center or mental health facility. Unfortunately, this area is not very good at prosecuting this kind of case. Does Kitchen ring a bell here?

Goddess Of Love
Guest
Goddess Of Love
3 years ago

Good luck proving this crime before a jury of peers. Doubt any charges will be filed by the DA unless there is a clear case

...
Guest
...
3 years ago

Using restorative justice, this mother could be held to account for her actions while still supporting the family unit and the community.

No Joke
Guest
No Joke
3 years ago
Reply to  ...

This is true – lord knows we don’t need more kids entering foster care here.

I’ve heard there are a handful of rehab facilities across the country that will allow women to bring their young children with them rather than leaving them with relatives or putting them in foster care. It would be great if there were such a facility in this region where moms and kids could get support.

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago

🕯🌲Trinity Bray????? I no people with that last name that might find that kind of strange. 🎅🎅

Kym Kemp
Admin
3 years ago
Reply to  Willie Bray

Yikes! Thanks, Willie

Lone Ranger
Guest
Lone Ranger
3 years ago

Just more drugs and driving, whats new.

Humboldt Native
Guest
Humboldt Native
3 years ago

So let me get this straight. They were in an accident, fell far over a cliff, were unable to get hep, had a controlled substance, probably pot, survived in the woods for four days and they now want to charge the mother with neglect ! Her child is alive , that doesn’t sound like neglect to me after all those days. People are si quick to judge. Shame on you.

...
Guest
...
3 years ago

You said it well Humboldt Native. And by charge they mean punish.

DQ
Guest
DQ
3 years ago

The point is that this version of the story needs to be investigated. Because taking this story at face value is simply naive (there’s no other way to say it).

Did the mother (who was driving), fall over a cliff and somehow make it back up on her own and sit down naked in the roadway for a time and then disappear (as witness accounts are attesting)? Or was she just ejected in the accident, hurled down into a cliff, but managed to make it back up on her own and be completely uninjured?

It doesn’t require a Sherlock Holmes to see that there are some problems with this story.

Kym Kemp
Admin
3 years ago
Reply to  DQ

We’ve requested more info several times including this morning. Unfortunately, the CHP is not yet ready to release their findings. We’ve also requested an interview with Ms. Brey to get the story from her. So far. Nothing.

DQ
Guest
DQ
3 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I have no doubt you are doing your due diligence about all this.