Kylie Arellano, the Garden City teenager who disappeared nearly a year and a half ago, has been found safe in Oregon, ending a search that lasted 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. Her disappearance set off a wide federal and state investigation that followed dozens of unconfirmed sightings before she was recovered on Sunday.
Law enforcement officers in Oregon worked directly with the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office to safely recover her, according to a law enforcement news release. She was found with a 39-year-old man, who was taken into custody without incident.
“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 U.S. and in other countries,” the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office said in a statement. “As this case is ongoing, no further information will 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 helping with the operation.
“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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable.”
Patel added a warning aimed at anyone who exploits children online: “To anyone using gore groups to target and exploit children: the FBI and our partners are coming for you. We are using every tool at our disposal to combat nihilistic violent extremism, bring offenders to justice and protect America’s children.”
Arellano’s grandmother thanked investigators on X, writing: “THANK YOU for all you and your agents and teams are doing to find our baby girl, Kylie Arellano and bring her home!!!”
A law enforcement source said the suspect allegedly met the teenager on Snapchat before she went missing. Last year, Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey said detectives had chased reported sightings across multiple states and asked the public to preserve any photographic or timestamped evidence related to the case.
Questions Raised Before Recovery
Days before Arellano was found, new details about the investigation surfaced. Unsealed search warrants reviewed by KUTV on Oct. 29 showed investigators had previously scrutinized Arellano’s mother, Stephanie Coleman, including questions tied to a 2024 allegation of physical abuse. Investigators also looked into missing text messages from the night Arellano vanished and suspicious marks found in the home.
Coleman denied any role in her daughter’s disappearance or any abuse, providing timestamped “good night” text messages from May 29, 2025. She said the marks in question were caused by an injured cat, and maintained that Arellano had likely been groomed and lured away by someone she met online, according to KUTV.
