A Utah teenager who disappeared about a year and a half ago has been found safe in Oregon, bringing a search that lasted more than 500 days to an end.
Kylie Arellano, now 17, was last seen by her family at their home in Garden City, Utah, on May 29, 2025. She was 15 at the time.
Her disappearance prompted a joint federal and state investigation. Officials followed leads and reports of possible sightings across the country and abroad before finding her on Sunday.
Oregon officers worked with the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office to recover Kylie, according to a law enforcement statement. She was found with a 39-year-old man, who was arrested without incident.
The FBI and Rich County authorities had been investigating for more than a year, pursuing leads from across the United States and other countries. The FBI said it would not release further details while the case remains active.
Authorities also credited Oregon State Police, the FBI’s Portland field office and the Utah Department of Public Safety for their help.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Oregon police brought the missing teenager to safety after receiving information from the Salt Lake City field office. He said officials were grateful she could return home and would continue working with their partners to hold those responsible accountable.
Patel also warned people who use online groups to target and exploit children, saying the FBI and its partners would use available tools to pursue offenders and protect children.
A law enforcement source said the suspect allegedly met Kylie on Snapchat before she disappeared.
Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey said last year that investigators had followed reports of possible sightings in several states. He urged people to preserve any photographs or other evidence showing when and where Kylie may have been seen.
Search warrants made public shortly before Kylie was found showed investigators had questioned her mother, Stephanie Coleman, about an allegation of physical abuse from 2024. Investigators also examined missing text messages from the night Kylie disappeared and marks found in the home.
Coleman denied abusing her daughter or having any involvement in her disappearance. She provided text messages with timestamps that she said showed the two exchanging good-night messages on May 29, 2025. She said the marks in the home came from an injured cat and maintained that Kylie had likely been groomed and lured away by someone she met online.
