A 15-year-old girl from South Jordan, Utah, has been found safe after walking into a police station nearly 500 miles from home — six weeks after she mysteriously disappeared.
Alisa Petrov was reported missing on April 21 after she was seen leaving her school in American Fork and never returned. Initially classified as a runaway, her disappearance sparked a thorough investigation.
Authorities uncovered troubling details linking Alisa to 41-year-old Samuel Teancum Mitchell, with whom she had exchanged a series of increasingly explicit messages, according to court documents obtained by KSL TV. Among those messages was a chilling note from Alisa: “I’M RUNNING AWAY. Please don’t contact me,” sent just hours before she vanished.
Mitchell, along with two other men, came under police scrutiny as part of the investigation. Texts recovered from Alisa’s iPad — left behind in her bedroom — revealed conversations about condoms, sexual games, and plans to meet in person, raising serious concerns.
A reverse phone number search led police to Mitchell, helping piece together the disturbing chain of events.
Thanks to her bravery in coming forward to the authorities, Alisa is now safe, and the investigation continues.
Missing Utah Teen Found Safe After Six Weeks — Turns Up 500 Miles Away at Colorado Police Station
In a remarkable turn of events, 15-year-old Alisa Petrov was found alive and well after walking into the Colorado Springs Police Department on Sunday evening—nearly 500 miles from her Utah home and six weeks after she disappeared.
The last confirmed sighting of Alisa was on security footage at a train platform in Provo. In the desperate days following her disappearance, her family had offered a $20,000 reward for any information leading to her safe return.
The South Jordan Police Department confirmed the breakthrough in a statement released on June 2:
“On the evening of June 1, 2025, a young female voluntarily approached the Colorado Springs Police Department and identified herself as Alisa Petrov. Her identity was confirmed, and she is in good health and safe under the care of Colorado authorities.”
Despite this hopeful update, questions remain about how Alisa managed to travel so far and whether she was held against her will during the six weeks she was missing.
Meanwhile, law enforcement continues to pursue justice. Samuel Teancum Mitchell, 41, was arrested last Wednesday and faces multiple charges, including five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and enticement. Two other men linked to the case—William Taylor Glines, 37, currently in custody in Texas, and Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, who surrendered Wednesday night in Florida—are also under investigation.
The community breathes a sigh of relief as Alisa’s story unfolds, with authorities committed to uncovering the full truth behind her disappearance.