Lacking Utah teen Kylie Arellano discovered protected in Oregon after 500-day search
A Utah teenager who vanished almost a yr and a half in the past has been discovered protected in Oregon, ending a prolonged nationwide search that spanned greater than 500 days.
Kylie Arellano, now 17, was final seen by her household on Could 29, 2025, at their residence in Backyard Metropolis, Utah, when she was 15 years previous.
Kylie’s disappearance had triggered a large federal and state investigation that led officers by dozens of unconfirmed sightings earlier than culminating in her restoration on Sunday.
Regulation enforcement officers in Oregon, working instantly with the FBI’s Salt Lake Metropolis discipline workplace and the Wealthy County Sheriff’s Workplace, safely recovered the teenager, in keeping with a regulation enforcement information launch.
Kylie, they stated, was discovered with a 39-year-old man in Oregon. The person was taken into custody with out incident.
“The FBI and the Wealthy County Sheriff’s Workplace have been actively investigating this case for greater than a yr and pursuing each lead acquired from throughout the US and in different nations.
“As this case is ongoing, no additional info will likely be launched right now,” the FBI’s Salt Lake Metropolis discipline workplace stated in an announcement on Sunday.
Federal authorities additionally credited the Oregon State Police, the FBI’s Portland discipline workplace and the Utah Division of Public Security for his or her help within the operation.
“Tonight, native police in Oregon introduced a minor who had been lacking for a yr and a half to security, performing on info offered by our FBI Salt Lake Metropolis Area Workplace,” FBI Director Kash Patel informed Fox Information Digital.
“We’re grateful she will be able to return residence, and we are going to proceed working with our companions to carry these accountable accountable,” Patel added.
“To anybody utilizing gore teams to focus on and exploit kids: the FBI and our companions are coming for you.
“We’re utilizing each software at our disposal to fight nihilistic violent extremism, deliver offenders to justice and defend America’s kids.”
Kylie Arellano’s grandmother additionally thanked the authorities for locating her. “THANK YOU for all you and your brokers and groups are doing to seek out our child lady, Kylie Arellano and convey her residence!!!” she wrote on X.
In line with a regulation enforcement supply, the suspect allegedly met {the teenager} on Snapchat earlier than her disappearance.
Final yr, Wealthy County Sheriff Dale Stacey stated detectives had chased reviews of sightings throughout a number of states and urged the general public to protect any photographic or timestamped proof.
New particulars in regards to the investigation had additionally emerged days earlier than Kylie was discovered.
Unsealed search warrants reviewed by KUTV on Oct. 29 confirmed that investigators had beforehand scrutinized Kylie’s mom, Stephanie Coleman, and questioned her a couple of 2024 allegation of bodily abuse.
There have been additionally questions on discrepancies involving lacking textual content messages from the night time Kylie vanished and suspicious marks within the residence.
Coleman had denied having any function in her daughter’s disappearance or abusing her, offering timestamped “good night time” textual content messages from Could 29, 2025.
She stated the marks had been brought on by an injured cat and maintained that Kylie had probably been groomed and lured away by somebody she encountered on-line, the outlet reported.
