Missing Utah teen Kylie Arellano found after 500 days with man she allegedly met on Snapchat
UTAH, GARDEN CITY: A Utah teenager who disappeared more than 500 days ago has been found safe in Oregon, bringing an end to a lengthy search involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Kylie Arellano, now 17, was recovered on Sunday, November 1, alongside a 39-year-old man who was taken into custody without incident.
Kylie was last seen by her family at their home in Garden City, Utah, on May 29, 2025, when she was 15.
Her disappearance triggered a nationwide investigation, with authorities following dozens of reported sightings across several states before finally locating her.
According to a law enforcement source, the man allegedly met Kylie on Snapchat before she disappeared. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the teenager's recovery and thanked the agencies involved in bringing her to safety.
Last night, local police in Oregon brought a minor who had been missing for a year and a half to safety, acting on information provided by our @FBISaltLakeCity Field Office. We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable. -DKP🇺🇸
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) November 2, 2026
Missing Utah teen Kylie Arellano found safe in Oregon
Oregon law enforcement officers recovered Kylie while working with the FBI's Salt Lake City field office and the Rich County Sheriff's Office.
The operation also involved the Oregon State Police, the FBI's Portland field office, and the Utah Department of Public Safety.
In a statement released on Sunday, the FBI's Salt Lake City field office said, "The FBI and the Rich County Sheriff's Office have been actively investigating this case for more than a year and pursuing every lead received from across the US and in other countries."
The agency added that the investigation was ongoing and that no further information would be released at the time.
Patel also confirmed the development in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, "Tonight, local police in Oregon brought a minor who had been missing for a year and a half to safety, acting on information provided by our FBI Salt Lake City Field Office."
He added, "We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable."
Kash Patel vows action against online child predators
Following Kylie's recovery, Patel also issued a warning to people using online platforms to target and exploit children.
"To anyone using gore groups to target and exploit children: the FBI and our partners are coming for you," he said.
He added that the agency was using every available tool to combat violent extremism, bring offenders to justice, and protect children.
Kylie's grandmother also expressed her gratitude to authorities for their efforts to locate her granddaughter. Sharing a message on X, she wrote, "THANK YOU for all you and your agents and teams are doing to find our baby girl, Kylie Arellano and bring her home!!!"
We inherited a massive DNA processing backlog that kept critical information out of the system law enforcement uses to help solve homicides, sexual assaults, mass shootings, and other violent crimes. Under President Trump’s leadership, we made the changes necessary for this FBI to deliver. 🔻 1.81 MILLION sample backlog → ZERO 🔻 Technology upgraded 🔻 Resources moved where they were needed 🔻 Processing dramatically accelerated 🔻 DNA now being put to work helping solve violent crimes across America Huge credit to the men and women of our FBI Laboratory, CJIS, and everyone who put in the work to deliver for the American people. -DKP🇺🇸
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 29, 2026
The recovery came after investigators spent more than a year following leads from across the country and abroad.
Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey had previously spoken about reported sightings in multiple states and urged the public to preserve any photographs or timestamped evidence that could help locate the teenager.
Search warrants reveal scrutiny of Kylie Arellano’s mother
Days before Kylie was found, new details about the investigation emerged through unsealed search warrants reviewed by KUTV on October 29.
The documents showed that investigators had previously scrutinized Kylie's mother, Stephanie Coleman, and questioned her about a 2024 allegation of physical abuse.
Investigators also examined discrepancies involving missing text messages from the night Kylie disappeared, along with suspicious marks found inside the family home.
Coleman denied abusing her daughter or having any involvement in her disappearance.
She provided timestamped messages showing that she had exchanged good-night texts with Kylie on May 29, 2025, the night she vanished.
She also maintained that the marks in the home had been caused by an injured cat. According to the report, Coleman believed her daughter had likely been groomed and lured away by someone she had encountered online.
