Kylie Arellano, a Utah teenager who vanished nearly a year and a half ago, has been found safe in Oregon, ending a search that stretched more than 500 days. 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. Officials pursued dozens of unconfirmed sightings before her recovery on Sunday.
Law enforcement officers in Oregon, working with the FBI's Salt Lake City field office and the Rich County Sheriff's Office, recovered the teen safely, according to a law enforcement news release. Arellano was found with a 39-year-old man, who was taken into custody without incident. The FBI's Salt Lake City field office said in a statement that the case remains ongoing and that no further information would be released at this time. Federal authorities also credited the Oregon State Police, the FBI's Portland field office and the Utah Department of Public Safety for their assistance.
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that local police in Oregon had brought the minor back to safety, acting on information provided by the Salt Lake City field office. "We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable," Patel said. He also warned those using online gore groups to target children that the FBI and its partners were pursuing them. Arellano's grandmother thanked investigators on X for their work to find her granddaughter and bring her home.
The investigation had been wide-ranging from the start. Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey said last year that detectives had chased reports of sightings across multiple states and urged the public to preserve any photographic or timestamped evidence. According to a law enforcement source, the suspect allegedly met the teenager on Snapchat before she disappeared.
New details had also emerged in the days before Arellano was found. Unsealed search warrants reviewed by KUTV on Oct. 29 showed that investigators had scrutinized her mother, Stephanie Coleman, and questioned her about a 2024 allegation of physical abuse. Investigators also raised questions about discrepancies involving missing text messages from the night Arellano vanished and suspicious marks in the home. Coleman denied any role in her daughter's disappearance or in abusing her, and provided timestamped "good night" text messages from May 29, 2025. She said the marks were caused by an injured cat and maintained that Kylie had likely been groomed and lured away by someone she met online, the outlet reported.