Missing 15-Year-Old Girl Rescued Alive After Six-Week Search 500 Miles from home
A 15-year-old girl from Utah has been found after she walked into a police station to reveal her identity six weeks after her disappearance.
On April 21, 2025, a girl named Alisa Petrov, 15, from South Jordan, Utah, was reported as a ‘runaway’ after she was seen leaving her school in American Fork.
The South Jordan Police Department reported that Alisa was ‘trying to connect with people she had met online through various social media and chat apps.’
“Alisa is classified as a Runaway Juvenile in a vulnerable situation,” a statement from the department stated. “Any information regarding her location should be reported to law enforcement right away.”
The police department took to Facebook on April 29 to inform the public about Alisa’s disappearance.
It reported that the girl had ‘left her school, ‘bought items at a local gas station’ and was ‘later seen getting on a UTA train’ before getting off at the Provo station.
“Alisa allegedly requested assistance from several people to help her travel to Las Vegas,” the police department mentioned.
South Jordan Police Department confirms Alisa has been found
In a recent update, the South Jordan Police Department issued a statement earlier today (June 2).
It stated: “On the evening of June 1, 2025, a young woman voluntarily contacted the Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department and identified herself as Alisa Petrov.
“Alisa’s identity has been verified. She is in good health and is safe with Colorado officials.”
The statement mentioned that Alisa’s parents have been ‘informed of her location’ and they are cooperating with the authorities to ‘bring her back home.’
This follows the police department’s earlier announcement that several arrests had been made in connection with Alisa’s case – the men are accused of having had contact with the girl before she went missing, although none are charged with her disappearance.
Arrests made in the investigation
In an update on May 20, the department identified a man named Matthew Nicholas Menard from Miami, Florida.
It was revealed that charges had been filed against him for the enticement of a minor, criminal solicitation, and aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
A second man, identified as William Taylor Glines from Texas, has also been charged with enticement of a minor, criminal solicitation, attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor, aggravated exploitation of a minor, and sexual exploitation of a minor.
The police department claims that the two ‘communicated with Alisa Petrov before she left school on April 21.’
On May 28, authorities reported that Menard had ‘turned himself in’ to the police department.
A ‘third adult male’ named Samuel Mitchell from Herriman, Utah, was also arrested on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and has been booked into jail.
Alisa’s parents have made a statement on a website they created to help locate their daughter.
Statements from Alisa’s parents
The website states: “We are grateful to everyone for your assistance! Thank you for sharing the news, for your support, and for the tips! Alisa walked into a police department today on June 1, 2025. She was missing for nearly six weeks.”
The site expresses gratitude to the police department, the Salt Lake City FBI, as well as their friends and ‘Jaz from the Missing In America Network for the outstanding emotional support during this stressful time.’
It concludes: “We also extend a special thanks to our local community for their prayers!”