Utah teenager located safe and in good health after going missing in April
A 15-year-old Utah girl, who vanished in April, has been located safe and in good health in Colorado Springs, authorities confirmed late Sunday night.
According to Sgt Shaun Becker, Alisa Petrov walked into the Colorado Springs police department earlier that evening and identified herself. Officials stated she appeared to be unharmed and physically well.
Alisa had last been seen six weeks ago on 21 April, captured on surveillance footage leaving a train platform in Provo. That marked the last known sighting of her until this week's development. Investigators have not yet disclosed how she traveled to Colorado or whether she was coerced or detained during her time away.
Detectives are now coordinating efforts to reunite Alisa with her family. Her father, Nikolai Petrov, had previously said that the family's priority was her safe return rather than pursuing arrests or placing blame.
'Obviously, it's best if she just walked in the door and said 'Hey, I'm back,' that would be the best outcome,' he said in an interview with KUTV.
The circumstances surrounding Alisa's disappearance remain largely unclear. Officials have not released information about where she stayed over the past six weeks or the specific reasons behind her decision to turn herself in.
A more detailed statement is expected, according to Becker, as authorities work on an official news release.
In a Facebook post, Nikolai Petrov shared the good news. 'We are all really happy that Alisa is found and looking forward to seeing her!' he wrote on Facebook. 'Special thanks to the South Jordan Police Department who worked on weekends, and to the Salt Lake City FBI who helped them. Thank you to all of our friends for your help and support.'
The day she went missing, Alisa was dropped off at Canyon Grove Academy in American Fork, roughly 32 miles south of Salt Lake City. However, she never attended classes. Instead, she purchased supplies at a nearby Speedway gas station and persuaded a man to drive her to a local train station.
From there, she traveled to Provo, about 14 miles away, where she reportedly asked multiple individuals for assistance in purchasing a bus ticket to Las Vegas. Her goal was to meet 35-year-old Matthew Nicholas Menard, whom she had been in contact with.
The teen's mother Olga had previously told the Daily Mail that Alisa had saved about $1,000 from birthday gifts and allowance money, which she kept after turning 15 on 16 April, just five days before she disappeared.
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