21-05-2025
Two Men Charged in Connection to Missing Teen Girl Last Seen In Utah
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Two men from Florida and Texas have been charged with multiple child exploitation offenses in connection with missing 15-year-old Alisa Petrov, South Jordan police said in a press release.
Newsweek left a phone message with the South Jordan Police Department for comment on Wednesday.
The Context
In 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Crime Information Center recorded over 533,000 missing youths in the United States.
On April 21, Petrov walked away from her school, American Fork High School, in a Provo, Utah, suburb, the South Jordan, Utah, police department said in a May 20 press release.
"Alisa reportedly asked multiple people to aid in her travel to Las Vegas, Nevada," the police department said.
Photo of Alisa Petrov who has been missing since April 21, 2025.
Photo of Alisa Petrov who has been missing since April 21, 2025.
What To Know
Two men, Matthew Nicholas Menard and William Taylor Glines, reportedly communicated with Petrov before she went missing.
Menard, a 35-year-old male from Miami, Florida, has been charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation related to Petrov. Local news outlet Fox13 reported that Menard and Petrov were speaking on Instagram, with plans to meet in Las Vegas.
A second man, 37-year-old Glines from Texas City, Texas, has also been identified in relation to the case. The police have filed the same charges against him, as well as attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor.
What People Are Saying
The Find Alisa website states: "Alisa, if you can see this, please know that we love you, we will always love you. We miss you, All of your friends and our friends are very worried too. We all want you to come back home. You will not get in trouble for running away. We are not mad at you. We absolutely love you regardless of what happened, and you are welcome home at any time. We just want you to return back so that we are together as a happy family who care about each other, and we will try our hardest to make you happy. Please come back."
What Happens Next
The search efforts to locate Petrov are still underway. She is currently listed as a runaway juvenile who is endangered. Any information related to her case should be reported to law enforcement.
There is currently a $20,000 reward for information in her case.
