Missing Utah Teen Found Safe After 6 Weeks
Alisa Petrov, a 15-year-old from South Jordan, Utah, was found safe after walking into a police station in Colorado Springs, about 500 miles from her home, six weeks after she went missing.
Alisa was last seen on April 21 leaving her school and had previously sent a message to 41-year-old Samuel Teancum Mitchell saying, “I’M RUNNING AWAY. Please don’t contact me.” Their conversations had turned sexual, and Mitchell, along with two other men, became subjects of investigation.
Messages recovered from Alisa’s iPad helped authorities identify Mitchell, who has now been charged with sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor. Two other suspects — William Taylor Glines and Matthew Nicholas Menard — are also in custody.
Alisa’s family had offered a $20,000 reward, and authorities are still investigating how she traveled to Colorado and whether she was held against her will. She is currently safe and in good health.