Utah teenager Kylie Arellano has been found safe in Oregon after a nationwide search that lasted more than 500 days. Her recovery ended nearly a year and a half of uncertainty for her family and the law enforcement agencies pursuing leads across the country, as reported by Fox News.

Kylie, now 17, was last seen by her family on May 29, 2025, at their home in Garden City, Utah. She was 15 years old when she vanished.

Her disappearance prompted an extensive federal and state investigation. Authorities followed dozens of unconfirmed sightings before officers in Oregon safely recovered her on Sunday.

Kylie was found with a man who is 39 years old, according to authorities. The man was taken into custody without incident, though officials did not release additional details about his identity or potential charges.

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Oregon law enforcement officers conducted the recovery while working directly with the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office. Officials described the operation in a law enforcement news release.

The FBI and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office had actively investigated Kylie’s disappearance for more than a year. Their work included pursuing leads received from across the United States and other countries.

The FBI’s Salt Lake City field office said Sunday that the investigation remained ongoing and that no further information would be released at that time. Federal authorities also credited the Oregon State Police, the FBI’s Portland field office and the Utah Department of Public Safety for assisting.

FBI Director Kash Patel praised the agencies involved in bringing Kylie to safety. “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 told Fox News Digital.

We inherited a massive DNA processing backlog that kept critical information out of the system law enforcement uses to help solve homicides, sexual assaults, mass shootings, and other violent crimes.

Under President Trump’s leadership, we made the changes necessary for this FBI to deliver. 🔻 1.81 MILLION sample backlog → ZERO 🔻 Technology upgraded 🔻 Resources moved where they were needed 🔻 Processing dramatically accelerated 🔻 DNA now being put to work helping solve violent crimes across America Huge credit to the men and women of our FBI Laboratory, CJIS, and everyone who put in the work to deliver for the American people. -DKP🇺🇸 — FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 29, 2026

“We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable,” Patel added.

Patel also delivered a warning to people who use gore groups to exploit children. “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.

Kylie’s grandmother publicly thanked authorities following the recovery. “THANK YOU for all you and your agents and teams are doing to find our baby girl, Kylie Arellano, and bring her home!!!” she wrote on X.

A law enforcement source said the suspect allegedly met Kylie on Snapchat before her disappearance. Officials did not release further information about that alleged online contact because the case remained under investigation.

Last year, Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey said detectives had pursued reported sightings across multiple states. He also urged members of the public to preserve any photographs or evidence containing timestamps that might help investigators.

Weeks before Kylie was recovered, her mother marked the 500-day point since her disappearance in an online post. Additional details about the investigation also emerged shortly before authorities located the teenager.

Unsealed search warrants reviewed by KUTV on Oct. 29 showed that investigators had previously scrutinized Kylie’s mother, Stephanie Coleman. Investigators questioned Coleman about a 2024 allegation involving physical abuse, along with missing text messages from the night Kylie disappeared and suspicious marks inside the home.

Coleman denied abusing her daughter or having any role in the disappearance. She provided timestamped “good night” text messages from May 29, 2025, and said the marks inside the home had been caused by an injured cat.

Coleman maintained that Kylie had likely been groomed and lured away by someone she encountered online, according to KUTV. Authorities ultimately found Kylie in Oregon with the man who was taken into custody, bringing the sprawling search to an end while the investigation continued.