Latest news with #Petrov
New York Post
02-06-2025
- New York Post
Missing 15-year-old girl who had disturbing chats with men is found safe over 500 miles from home
A 15-year-old girl who vanished nearly six weeks ago in Utah — prompting the investigation of three men, including at least one who shared disturbing sex chats while trying to get her to meet him — has been found safe more than 500 miles away in Colorado, according to authorities. Alisa Petrov, 15, from South Jordan, walked into the Colorado Springs Police Department on Sunday evening, six weeks after she disappeared, police said, according to KUTV. She was in good health, but cops have not yet determined how she got to the police station or if she was held against her will, the outlet reported. Advertisement 3 15-year-old Alisa Petrov, who had been missing for six weeks, appeared healthy when she walked into a Colorado police precinct Sunday. Facebook / Nikolai Petrov Petrov was reported missing on April 21, two days after her final message to a 41-year-old man with whom she had been having a series of sexual conversations, according to an affidavit obtained by KSL TV. 'I'M RUNNING AWAY. Please don't contact me,' Petrov wrote on April 19 at 12:34 a.m. in a message to an unnamed man from Herriman, Utah, whom she met on Discord, the report said. The man was later identified as Samuel Teancum Mitchell, after police conducted a reverse search of the phone number he provided to Petrov, KUTV reported. Advertisement Their chats had become increasingly sexual, including discussions about condoms and sex games, as well as planning to meet in person, according to the affidavit. Messages were discovered on Petrov's iPad, which she left behind in her bedroom. She had shared her Snapchat username with him, and some messages may have been deleted, according to the warrant. Advertisement 3 Sexually explicit messages were discovered on Petrov's iPad, which she left behind in her bedroom. Facebook / Nikolai Petrov Mitchell, 41, was arrested Wednesday and charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and enticement of a minor. Two other men were also charged for communicating with Petrov before her disappearance, KSL reported. William Taylor Glines, 37, is in custody in Texas, and a second suspect, Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, of Florida, turned himself in on Wednesday night, the outlet said. Advertisement 3 William Taylor Glines was charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, among other charges. He is one of three men arrested following Petrov's disappearance. Galveson County Jail Glines has been charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, first-degree felonies, and criminal solicitation, records indicate. Menard was also charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticing a minor, and three counts of criminal solicitation. Petrov was last seen on security video leaving a train platform in Provo, KUTV reported. Her family had previously offered a $20,000 reward for any information leading to her safe return.
New York Post
29-05-2025
- New York Post
3 men investigated over missing girl, 15 — including one trying to meet her while sharing sick sex chats: affidavit
Three men are being investigated over a 15-year-old girl who vanished five weeks ago in Utah — with at least one sharing disturbing sex chats while trying to get her to meet him, according to authorities. Alisa Petrov, 15, from South Jordan, was reported missing on April 21, two days after her final message to a 41-year-old man with whom she had been having a series of sexual conversations, according to an affidavit obtained by KSL TV. 'I'M RUNNING AWAY. Please don't contact me,' Petrov wrote on April 19 at 12:34 a.m. in a message to the unnamed man from Herriman, Utah, whom she met on Discord, the report said. Advertisement Their chats had become increasingly sexual, including discussions about condoms and sex games, as well as planning to meet in person, according to the affidavit. 4 Missing Utah girl Alisa Petrov, 15, hasn't been seen since last month. Utah Department of Public Safety The man has not yet been charged, but the unsealed search warrant outlines probable cause for a search of his home and phone, citing evidence of possible enticement and exploitation of a minor, KSL reports. Advertisement Messages were discovered on Petrov's iPad, which she left behind in her bedroom. She had shared her Snapchat username with him, and some messages may have been deleted, according to the warrant. 4 The teen sent an eerie message to a man she had been communicating with just before she disappeared. Facebook / Nikolai Petrov 4 William Taylor Glines is one of three men being investigated over Petrov's disappearance. Galveson County Jail Advertisement Two other men have been charged already over Petrov's disappearance. William Taylor Glines, 37, is in custody in Texas, while a second suspect, Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, of Florida, still hadn't been located as of Wednesday. 4 Anyone with information regarding Petrov's disappearance is urged to contact South Jordan Police Department. Utah Department of Public Safety Petrov is classed as a runaway juvenile who is endangered. Her family has offered a $20,000 reward for any information leading to her safe return.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Utah man, 41, messaged missing 15-year-old girl days before she disappeared: Documents
Related video: Father of missing Utah girl speaks after 2 out-of-state men charged in connection to her disappearance SALT LAKE CITY () — Utah officials have filed a search warrant after identifying a third man who reportedly had contact with , 15, who was last seen in Utah on April 21. Samuel Mitchell, 41, of Herriman, Utah, was reportedly communicating with Petrov through the Discord app, according to documents obtained by Officials found 'numerous alarming conversations and media' on a device hidden in Petrov's room. According to the conversations stored on the app, Mitchell and Petrov discussed meeting in person, and Petrov reportedly shared personal details with the suspect and asked him to kidnap her, the warrant states. At one point, the suspect shared a phone number with Petrov, and that number was identified as belonging to Mitchell. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'We love her a lot': Father of missing Utah girl speaks after 2 out-of-state men charged in connection to her disappearance Just after midnight on April 19, the last message from the victim to Mitchell read, 'IM RUNNING AWAY' and 'please don't contact me,' according to documents. Officials with the South Jordan Police Department requested a search warrant for Mitchell's phone, saying, 'There is probable cause that there is evidence of Enticement of a Minor and Exploitation of a Minor on this phone.' While investigating Petrov's device, detectives observed conversations between her and Mitchell that were 'sexual in nature.' It also appeared that certain messages and files had been deleted. No formal charges have yet been filed against Mitchell, and as of May 27, he was not in custody. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Alisa Petrov has been asked to call 801-840-4000 and reference South Jordan Case #SJ25-11568. Alisa Petrov, 15, was dropped off at school in American Fork, Utah, on April 21. Instead of going to school, family members said the teenager boarded a train toward Provo, Utah. Family members said nearby security footage shows the teenager walking away, and she hasn't been found since. She is said to be about 5'3″ tall and weigh about 122 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She is listed as a runaway juvenile and is said to be endangered. According to the , Alisa was last seen wearing a grey Harvard University shirt, a black hoodie, baggy jeans, and a dark backpack. It was later reported that she may have been trying to get to Las Vegas, and another tip revealed that she may have been communicating with a man in Texas. Officials in Texas City posted on social media on May 9 to ask for the public's help in the search for Alisa. As of May 16, Alisa's family was reporting that she still has not been found. South Jordan police have asked anyone with information on her whereabouts to call 801-840-4000 and reference South Jordan Case #SJ25-11568. On May 20, the South Jordan Police Department confirmed that a Florida man and a Texas man were being charged in connection with Alisa's disappearance. Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, of Miami, Florida, is , including aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. Another man — William Taylor Glines, 37, of Texas City, Texas — is facing 10 charges. According to the South Jordan Police Department, Glines was charged with attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. Both men are accused of communicating with Alisa through social media and encouraging her to send inappropriate photos and videos. Even after learning that the girl was underage, both men allegedly continued with the sexual conversations and asked the victim to send them inappropriate photos and videos. Utah prosecutors have requested that no bail arrest warrants be issued for both suspects. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Abigail Jones contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Why being clear and using English matters for India
A Close Call: One night in 1983, something really scary almost happened. A Soviet officer named Stanislav Petrov saw warning signs on his computer that said enemy missiles were coming. But it was just sunlight fooling the machines. Petrov didn't panic. He trusted his instincts and didn't call for an attack. If he had, it could have started a huge war. This shows how dangerous misunderstandings can be. Misunderstandings Happen: Even people who speak the same language can get confused. In 1951, during a battle near Seoul, a British officer said, 'Things are a bit sticky,' which meant they were in big trouble. But an American general thought it wasn't serious and didn't send help. As a result, many soldiers were captured. One small misunderstanding made a big difference. India's New Way of Talking to the World: To avoid these kinds of problems, India is now sending smart and experienced leaders to talk to other countries. They want to explain clearly how some serious issues, like terrorism, affect India. These leaders are visiting 33 countries, including Japan and the UAE. This is called diplomacy — the way countries talk and work together. Why English Is Important: When you're talking to people from many countries, you have to be very clear the first time. That's why using the right language matters. And that language is often English. Even India's Prime Minister Modi uses English in important moments to make sure the message is clear to the world. English Around the World: English isn't the most spoken language at home, but it's the most learned language in the world — 1.5 billion people can speak it! It's used in business, diplomacy, and even on car logos. That's why English is called a 'lingua franca' — a language many different people use to understand each other. More Than Just Words: English is powerful in music, movies, and books too. For example, even though Austria won the Eurovision song contest, they won with a song in English. People in countries like Germany and the Netherlands speak great English because they know how useful it is. What This Means for India: In India, over 140 million people speak English. That's more than double the entire population of the UK! Knowing English doesn't make us less Indian — just like speaking English doesn't make a German person less German. Learning more languages only helps us grow. The Big Idea: We should be proud that so many Indians speak English. It helps us connect with the world, share our ideas, and understand others better. English is a tool — and the better we use it, the stronger and smarter India becomes. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
The importance of being earnest
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. English serves India well in diplomacy & beyond On a Sept night in 1983, the world almost came to an end. At a Soviet monitoring station 100km from Moscow, supercomputers flashed warnings about five incoming US ICBMs. It was a false alarm triggered by satellites misinterpreting reflected sunlight as missile flashes. But one man, Stanislov Petrov, kept his head and prevented MAD – mutually assured destruction. That incident, more than anything else, shows the dangers of misunderstandings. While Petrov was up against code, misunderstandings can arise even among same-language speakers, as happened at the battle of Imjin River near Seoul in 1951. British Brigadier Tom Brodie reported, 'Things are a bit sticky, sir.' His American superior, Gen Robert H Soule, thought it was nothing serious and didn't send reinforcements. Over 500 of the 600 British troops were captured. New Diplomacy | It's to avoid misunderstandings of any kind that India has formed delegations of experienced and articulate leaders from all parties for its post-Op Sindoor global outreach – GOI is earnest about this. The intent is to draw global attention to Pak-sponsored terrorism, and the first of these meetings happened in Japan and UAE on Thursday. Altogether 33 countries will be covered. After a display of India's new security doctrine, this is a glimpse of its new diplomacy. Right Words | On a whirlwind tour of this magnitude, it's important to get the messaging right the first time. That's where the experience of delegates counts. What counts no less is the language employed. It has to be one with the least chance of being misunderstood globally. And while some Indian leaders will publicly disagree, everybody knows only English has that capacity – we must be earnest about promoting English. Modi himself switched to English in Madhubani, when he declared India's intent to punish the perpetrators of Pahalgam. Lingua Franca | There's no disputing English's paramountcy. True, within Europe, it's only the sixth most common native language behind Russian, German, French, Turkish and Italian. Globally, it has 380mn native speakers – only 35mn more than Hindi. But 1.5bn people speak English worldwide, more than any other language. That means 1.1bn have made an effort to learn it as a second or third language. No other language comes close. Why? Because English's so useful. It's an official language in at least 55 countries; second placed French only in 29. It's the lingua franca of diplomacy and business. Soft Power | But English's soft power extends beyond its speakers. At the recently concluded Eurovision, Austria's JJ won with an English song, Wasted Love. In the first 63 years of the contest, English songs won 46% of the time although a Briton has won only five times. Countries like Netherlands and Germany have very high English proficiency scores for a reason. Time For Inglish | Per the 2011 Census, over 10% of Indians spoke English. Even if the percentage hasn't increased, that's 140mn English speakers – twice the British population. It's a strength we need to recognise, be proud of, and build further. By becoming a nation of confident English speakers, we won't become any less Indian, just as English-speaking Germans aren't less German. Language learning is not a zero-sum game. There's much to gain by learning English, and nothing to lose. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
