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A Utah teenager who went missing nearly a year and a half ago has been found safe in Oregon, ending a lengthy national search that lasted more than 500 days.
Kylie Arellano, now 17, was last seen by her family on May 29, 2025, at their home in Garden City, Utah, when she was 15 years old.
Kylie’s disappearance sparked a massive federal and state investigation that led officials to make dozens of unconfirmed sightings before culminating in her recovery on Sunday.
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Kylie Arellano was reported missing in 2025 and was found with a 39-year-old man in Oregon. (Rich County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
Oregon law enforcement officers, working directly with the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office, safely recovered the teen, according to a law enforcement news release.
Kylie, they said, was found with a 39-year-old man in Oregon. The man was taken into custody without incident.
“The FBI and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office have been actively investigating this case for over a year and are following up on all leads received in the United States and other countries.
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Federal government office in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Google Maps)
“As this matter is ongoing, no further information will be released at this time,” the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office said in a statement Sunday.
Federal authorities also thanked the Oregon State Police, the FBI Portland Field Office and the Utah Department of Public Safety for their assistance in the operation.
“Tonight, local police in Oregon brought to safety a juvenile who had been missing for a year and a half, acting on information provided by our FBI field office in Salt Lake City,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital.
“We are grateful that she can return home and we will continue to work with our partners to hold those responsible to account,” Patel added.
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A few weeks before her rescue, Kylie Arellano’s mother reached the milestone of 500 days online. (Rich County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
“To all those using gore groups to target and exploit children: the FBI and our partners are coming to your aid.
“We use every tool at our disposal to combat nihilistic violent extremism, bring offenders to justice, and protect America’s children.”
Kylie Arellano’s grandmother also thanked authorities for finding her. “THANK YOU for everything you, your agents and your teams are doing to find our little girl, Kylie Arellano and bring her home!!!” she wrote about X.
According to a police source, the suspect met the teenager on Snapchat before her disappearance.
Last year, Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey said detectives searched reports of sightings in several states and urged the public to preserve any photographic or time-stamped evidence.
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Kylie Arellano was found with a suspect who was taken into custody after a multi-state search. (Rich County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
New details about the investigation also emerged days before Kylie was found.
Unsealed search warrants reviewed by KUTV on Oct. 29 showed that investigators had previously scrutinized Kylie’s mother, Stephanie Coleman, and questioned her about an allegation of physical abuse dating back to 2024.
There were also questions about discrepancies involving missing text messages the night Kylie disappeared and suspicious markings in the house.
Coleman had denied playing any role in his daughter’s disappearance or abuse, providing time-stamped “good night” text messages of May 29, 2025.
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She said the marks were caused by an injured cat and claimed Kylie was likely groomed and lured by someone she met online, the outlet reported.
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