Utah teen who had been missing for 17 months is found safe and a 39-year-old man was detained

Utah teen who had been missing for 17 months is found safe and a 39-year-old man was detained FBI Director Kash Patel issued a warning to so-called ‘gore groups’ in his statement confirming that the teenager had been found - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A teen who vanished 17 months ago in Utah has been found safe and now a 39-year-old man was detained in connection to her disappearance. Kylie Arellano vanished at the age of 15 in May 2025 from Garden City, Utah. In a missing poster shared by her mother on social media, Arellano walked away from her home and had been communicating online with “individuals in multiple states” - leaving her “at risk for exploitation.” On November 1, 2026, officials with FBI Salt Lake City and the Rich County Sheriff’s Department located Arellano in Oregon with the 39-year-old man, the FBI said. The man’s name was not released. The man was taken into custody without incident. “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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable.” Stephanie Kaye, Arellano’s mother, celebrated the news in a Facebook post. “Not even 5 minutes after making this post, I was looking at a photo of my babygirl! KYLIE WAS FOUND SAFE 11/01/26 the day before my Birthday,” the mom wrote. In search warrants reviewed by KUTV, Arellano had alleged in 2024 that her mother had choked her - which the teenager’s mom denies. Police noted in the documents that they uncovered what appeared to be blood in the home, but the mom says that Arellano’s cat had fought with other cats in the neighborhood and returned to the house wounded. “I know that this makes me look bad,” she told the outlet, “but I've never abused my child.” In his statement, Patel mentioned an online practice that he referred to as “gore groups.” The Department of Homeland Security defines gore networks as “online groups that share and spread violent real-life media, including child sexual abuse material, murder, suicide, rape, incest, self-harm, arson, doxxing, swatting and animal cruelty.” The department says that predators target minors and vulnerable people, using threats, blackmail and manipulation to coerce victims into engaging in the behavior. The DHS says that criminal activity associated with gore networks has increased “drastically” in 2025. “To anyone using gore groups to target and exploit children: the FBI and our partners are coming for you,” Patel said. “We are using every tool at our disposal to combat nihilistic violent extremism, bring offenders to justice and protect America’s children.” Patel did not detail the connection of gore groups with the case. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments