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Jon-Christopher Clark is the boyfriend of Kiera Lanae Bergman, who has been missing since Aug. 4. Clark is the last known person to see Bergman.
David Wallace, Arizona Republic

The on-again, off-again boyfriend of 19-year-old Kiera Bergman, who has been missing for three weeks, was set to be released from jail in connection with an unrelated case, officials said Friday. 

Jon-Christopher Clark, 23, was arrested Aug. 17 on suspicion of identity theft and forgery, according to the Phoenix Police Department. 

“The County Attorney’s Office has requested additional information from law enforcement to make a determination” on what formal charges will or will not be brought, said Rebecca Wilder, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokeswoman.

“The charges are under review,” Wilder said. 

In Clark’s court appearance Friday, the court commissioner ordered him to be released, Maricopa County Superior Court spokesman Bryan Bouchard confirmed. He said a probation revocation hearing for Clark was vacated because no petition to revoke was filed.

“As far as charges being dropped or levied, that’s the County Attorney’s determination, not the court,” Bouchard said. 

Sgt. Bryant Vanegas of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Clark likely would be released late Friday or early Saturday because it may take several hours to complete paperwork and go through processing. 

Phoenix Police have said Clark is not a suspect in Bergman’s disappearance. However, the man was questioned and a warrant served on his vehicle as part of the investigation.

Chris Bragg, Bergman’s father, said Friday that he “can’t figure why they would release him on charges he has. It’s kind of confusing. I’ll be asking my lead detectives.” 

Police executed a search warrant on Clark’s vehicle Aug. 13 and found “numerous items with personal identifying information of others, as well as items of forgery,” Phoenix police Sgt. Vince Lewis said previously.

Clark was booked into jail on suspicion of 22 counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of forgery, Lewis said.

The arrest came a day after The Arizona Republic published an interview with Clark in which he denied any involvement in Kiera’s disappearance. Bergman was last seen Aug. 4 at her apartment complex near 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road.

Investigators now “say her disappearance is suspicious,” Lewis told The Republic previously.

Phoenix police did not respond for comment on his release order Friday.

Clark told The Republic in his interview that he was the last person to be with Bergman on the day she went missing. He also said police had questioned him.

At an Aug. 11 vigil held for Bergman, her parents, Kiersten Bragg and Chris Bragg, told The Republic they suspected Clark may be somehow involved in her disappearance. Kiersten Bragg told Clark via social media messages not to attend the vigil. 

“I had nothing to do with anything that’s going on,” Clark recently told The Republic. “I love Kiera with all my heart. I want Kiera to come home.”

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The family and friends of missing 19-year-old Kiera Bergman held a vigil on Aug. 11, 2018 in Phoenix.
Bayan Wang, The Republic | azcentral.com

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