SUMTER, S.C. — Thursday, May 2, would have been Brent Garcia’s 22nd birthday. But, Garcia hasn’t been seen since he was 18-years-old.
On Thursday night, the Sumter community is getting together to celebrate the occasion in honor of Garcia.
The Sumter resident went missing in December 2020. His family is left searching for answers while trying to keep his memory alive.
“Bubbly, funny, very goofy, outgoing, ladies man,” Nikki Brown laughed remembering her nephew. “He didn't meet a stranger. He knew everybody, loved everybody and this was his town.”
Three years ago, Brown says Garcia was walking the dog outside with his cousin on December 26 on Ithica Drive off of Kolb Road in Sumter.
“His cousin went in to get a jacket and when [the cousin] came back out, he said Brent was gone,” Brown explained. “And that was about 7:30 that night, and we've not heard anything since then.”
Brown says this was “very out of character for him.”
“He never went anywhere without us knowing where he went, especially my mom. Like, he kept close contact with her at all times. It didn't matter if it was three in the morning. She knew where he was,” Brown elaborated. “We went around to where we thought would be his usual spots to hang out. We called his phone, we showed up to where he was last seen. We called and made…we made a police report that Monday morning. And then the search started and we've been searching ever since.”
The family has established a memorial near the Sumter County Library for Garcia and all of Sumter County's missing people in downtown Sumter, where they'll be gathering to have cupcakes and light sparklers on Thursday night.
“People kind of just forget about it and sweep it under the rug. But we don't let that happen because they matter just as much as the people that aren't missing,” Brown said. “It's important because it's bigger than the families of those that are missing because it could be your family member next. It could be your child next. It can be your mom, your dad. I mean it could be your family.”
This case is still open as the Sumter County Sheriff's Office continues the investigation.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can report tips to CrimeStoppers anonymously by calling 1-888-CRIME-SC or reporting it online at P3Tips.com.
“We still feel hopeful. It'd be easy to not be but we are, so we just keep going knowing that he's out there somewhere…He would do the same thing for us,” Brown shared. “Any tip that you have or may think you have or if you've seen something, heard something, it's not too small. Every little tip matters. Every little bit of information matters. You might be the one who breaks the case.”