Teenager identified in local reports as Kylie Arellano found in Oregon

FBI says 39-year-old man taken into custody without incident

FBI Director Kash Patel, in a statement following the recovery, said: “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.”

Patel added: “We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable.” He also warned: “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 was referring to online communities that target and extort children and teenagers.

Local reports identified the teenager as Kylie Arellano, who was last seen by her family on 29 May 2025. The 17-year-old had disappeared last year from Garden City, Utah.

The recovery took place last Sunday, following a 500-plus day search involving Oregon law enforcement, the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office and the Rich County sheriff’s office in Utah. According to the FBI, investigators with the agency and the Rich County sheriff’s office had been working on the case for more than a year, following leads from across the United States and internationally.

The FBI said a 39-year-old man was taken into custody without incident. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s disappearance or recovery, citing the ongoing investigation.

In an interview with NBC’s Dateline last December, Arellano’s mother Stephanie Coleman said that on the night her daughter disappeared, the two had been texting. Coleman told Dateline: “She goes: ‘I love you mama. Goodnight.’ I said: ‘I love you too, baby girl,’” adding that their messages were exchanged at 9.44pm and that Arellano’s phone reportedly shut off just eight minutes later, at 9.52pm.

Arellano’s family noticed she was missing the next morning, with Coleman saying: “Her jacket was … left in the driveway. Stuff was packed, her Xbox was gone.”

On Monday, Coleman posted a message on the Help Bring Kylie Arellano Home Facebook page, saying: “My babygirl was found SAFE today!! We did it KOAS ARMY.” The Guardian said it had approached Coleman for additional comment.