A Utah teenager who had been missing has been located safe after she walked into a police station six weeks following her disappearance. Alisa Petrov, a fifteen-year-old from South Jordan, was reported missing on April 21 after she was last seen departing from her school in American Fork.
On April 19, Petrov sent a message to 41-year-old Samuel Teancum Mitchell, stating, “I’M RUNNING AWAY. Please don’t contact me.” An affidavit reveals that the two had engaged in sexual discussions, which included plans to meet and conversations about condoms and sexual games.
These communications were discovered through messages found on Petrov’s iPad, which she had left at her residence. Subsequently, police traced Mitchell’s phone number and initiated an investigation involving three men associated with her disappearance.
Security footage captured Petrov as she left a train platform in Provo. Her family had offered a reward of $20,000 for any information that could assist in her safe return.
On the evening of June 1, she entered the Colorado Springs Police Department—approximately 500 miles from her home—and identified herself. Authorities verified her identity and reported that she was in good health and safe with officials in Colorado.
The South Jordan Police Department released a statement on June 2 confirming her recovery, although it remains uncertain how she made her way to Colorado or if she had been held against her will.
Mitchell was arrested the previous Wednesday and charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and enticement. Additionally, two other suspects, William Taylor Glines and Matthew Nicholas Menard, are also in custody related to the case.
