Missing Utah Teen Found Safe in Oregon After 500 Days

“My babygirl was found SAFE today!!” Stephanie Coleman posted to the Help Bring Kylie Arellano Facebook page on Monday, marking the end of a search that spanned more than a year and a half. The 17-year-old, who vanished from Garden City, Utah, in May 2025, has been recovered in Oregon, according to the FBI.

The recovery, which took place last Sunday, follows a grueling 500-plus day investigation involving local law enforcement, the Rich County Sheriff’s Office in Utah, and the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office. As reported by The Guardian, authorities have successfully located the teenager and taken a 39-year-old man into custody without incident. While the girl is safe, the circumstances surrounding her long disappearance and the details of her recovery remain under investigation.

Law enforcement issues warning to online exploitation groups

The FBI has used the successful recovery of Arellano to issue a stern warning to digital communities that facilitate the exploitation of minors. In a statement released by the agency, FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the darker corners of the internet that target teenagers.

🚨BREAKING: Missing teen Kylie Arellano, now 17, has been found safe in Oregon after more than 500 days. She was last seen at her family’s home in Garden City, Utah, on May 29, 2025, when she was 15. On November 1, Oregon law enforcement recovered her working directly with the… pic.twitter.com/C13wB8kDLo

— https://x.com/momma_pdx/status/2117276241116233909

“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,” Patel said.

The FBI’s statement, which ABC News notes, did not elaborate on the specific nature of the warning, though it emphasized a commitment to holding those responsible for such crimes accountable. Investigators have been pursuing leads both across the United States and internationally for over a year to track the movements of the teenager and the individual now in custody.

The final messages before the disappearance

The timeline of Arellano’s disappearance paints a chilling picture of how quickly a life can be upended. According to details shared by NBC’s Dateline, the night she vanished began with a routine exchange between mother and daughter. On May 29, 2025, Arellano sent a final text to her mother, Stephanie Coleman, at 9:44 p.m., saying, “I love you mama. Goodnight.”

The connection was severed almost immediately. Arellano’s phone reportedly shut off at 9:52 p.m., just eight minutes after that last message. When Coleman realized her daughter was missing the following morning, the scene suggested a sudden and unplanned departure. A jacket was left in the driveway, and while some personal items like an Xbox were gone, other belongings remained behind.

For more than 500 days, the family and law enforcement worked to bridge the gap between that final text and the girl’s eventual location in Oregon. While the FBI and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office continue their work, the primary focus remains on the ongoing investigation into the man in custody and the specific details of how Arellano was moved from Utah to Oregon.