APPLE VALLEY, CA– The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department has announced an arrest in connection with a homicide investigation dating back to 2016. On February 3, 2026, investigators arrested 27-year-old Michael Austin Roberts for the murder of Michael Brooks.
The case originated on August 10, 2016, when deputies from the Apple Valley Station responded to a residence in the 12600 block of Apple Valley Road. Upon arrival, officials located the body of Michael Brooks, who was 54 years old at the time. An investigation by the Specialized Investigations Division’s Homicide Detail determined that Brooks died from a single gunshot wound and concluded the injury was not self-inflicted. While detectives identified and interviewed multiple persons of interest during the initial investigation, the case remained unsolved after all leads were exhausted.
In 2025, the Sheriff’s Cold Case Homicide Team resumed the investigation as part of a routine reexamination of cold cases. Through this process, investigators identified Roberts as a suspect. Records indicate Roberts was 18 years old at the time of the 2016 incident.
At the time of his arrest on February 3, Roberts was already in custody at the West Valley Detention Center on an unrelated charge. Following an interview with investigators, he was booked for the murder of Brooks. The investigation remains ongoing under Case No. DR# 181604961.
Authorities request that anyone with information regarding this case contact Detective Malcolm Page or Sergeant Justin Giles at 909-890-4904. Anonymous tips may be submitted through We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME or via their website.
