Latest news with #SamuelMitchell
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Missing 15-year-old girl who had disturbing chats with men is found safe in Colorado
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 chats while trying to get her to meet him — has been found safe more than 800 kilometres 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 police have not yet determined how she got to the police station or if she was held against her will, the outlet reported. Ms 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 conversations, according to an affidavit obtained by KSL TV. 'I'M RUNNING AWAY. Please don't contact me,' Ms Petrov wrote at 12:34am, local time on April 19 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 Ms Petrov, KUTV reported. The illicit messages included discussions about condoms and sex games, as well as planning to meet in person, according to the affidavit. Messages were discovered on Ms 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. 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 Ms 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. 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 US$20,000 reward for any information leading to her safe return.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Charges filed against Utah man who allegedly messaged missing 15-year-old before her disappearance
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — As police continue to search for , 15, a third man has been charged in connection with her disappearance, as he allegedly messaged her online before she went missing. Samuel Mitchell, 41, of Herriman, Utah, was charged in Salt Lake County with five counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, a Second-Degree felony, and one count of enticement of a minor, a Class A misdemeanor. Mitchell was previously when police obtained a search warrant for his phone, and he was . PREVIOUSLY: Florida suspect in missing teen's disappearance self-surrenders, police arrest additional suspect According to charging documents, Mitchell was communicating with Alisa through online messaging app Discord. She reportedly told Mitchell that she was a minor, and their conversations were sexual in nature. Mitchell reportedly was planning to meet up with Alisa, but he cancelled due to illness. In addition to Alisa, Mitchell was allegedly communicating with another 15-year-old girl living in Utah. Police also reported that he had multiple files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in his possession, including photos and videos of the other 15-year-old girl and another 12-year-old girl. Utah prosecutors have requested that no bail warrant be issued for Mitchell, alleging that Mitchell would be 'a substantial danger to other people in the community,' including his victims and other minor children. PREVIOUSLY: Utah man, 41, messaged missing 15-year-old girl days before she disappeared: Documents have also been charged in connection with her disappearance. , 35, of Miami, Florida is facing six charges, including aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. He was Wednesday May 28 after he self-surrendered. William Glines, 37, of Texas City, Texas is , including attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. As of writing, he has not been arrested. Menard and Glines are both 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. PREVIOUSLY: Men from Texas, Florida charged in connection to disappearance of 15-year-old Utah girl On , South Jordan Police stated that it will continue its efforts to locate Alisa and follow other leads. 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. PREVIOUSLY: 'We love her a lot': Father of missing Utah girl speaks after 2 out-of-state men charged in connection to her disappearance 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 man apprehended after fleeing from traffic stop, shelter in place order lifted Cedar City man arrested for allegedly sending sexual photos to officer posing as 12-year-old Charges filed against Utah man who allegedly messaged missing 15-year-old before her disappearance Weber County School District considering tax increase Hill Air Force Base's Mazer Chapel reopens after 2 years of renovations Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida suspect in missing teen's disappearance self-surrenders, police arrest additional suspect
Related video: Father of missing Utah girl speaks after 2 out-of-state men charged in connection to her disappearance SOUTH JORDAN, Utah () — The in connection with the disappearance of self-surrendered to the South Jordan Police Department Wednesday evening, and South Jordan Police also arrested a third suspect in connection with the case. According to a press release, Matthew Menard, 35, of Miami, Florida turned himself in the South Jordan Police Department for charges of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Enticement of a Minor, and Criminal Solicitation. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Utah man, 41, messaged missing 15-year-old girl days before she disappeared: Documents South Jordan Police also confirmed that they identified a third adult man in connection with the case, Samuel Mitchell from Herriman, Utah. Mitchell was arrested on charges for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Both suspects were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. This comes a day after reported that Mitchell was in her disappearance, as he allegedly communicated with Petrov on the Discord app. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Men from Texas, Florida charged in connection to disappearance of 15-year-old Utah girl South Jordan Police stated that it will continue its efforts to locate Alisa and follow other leads. 'Alisa is listed as a Runaway Juvenile who is endangered,' police stated, 'Any knowledge of her whereabouts should be reported to Law Enforcement immediately.' 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. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Third 'pedophile' grilled by cops over missing Alisa, 15... as depraved messages emerge
A third pedophile was grooming a teen girl days before she disappeared from her school without a trace, police allege. Alisa Petrov, 15, has been missing since April 21 when she ran away to meet a different alleged pedophile after being dropped off at school. The teenager exchanged graphic sexual messages and nude photos with the men for months using a secret iPad she hid in her dresser. Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, from Miami and William Taylor Glines, 37, from Texas City, Texas, both face serious child sexual abuse charges. A third man, Samuel Mitchell, 41, who lived in Herriman, Utah, only streets away from Alisa's home in South Jordan, on the edge of Salt Lake City, is now under investigation. Police allegedly found perverted messages between the pair on Alisa's iPad, exchanged through Discord and Snapchat, and filed for a search warrant. Alisa asked Mitchell to 'kidnap' her while she was on a family ski trip, and revealed she was running away from home two days before she went missing. 'IM RUNNING AWAY, please don't contact me,' she wrote at 12.34am on April 19, the search warrant alleged. Messages between Alisa and Mitchell included her telling him she wanted to be a vlogger when she turned 18, but also allegedly contained graphic descriptions of sexual acts he wanted to do to her when they met in person. She was only saved from this fate when Mitchell told her they couldn't meet, the affidavit explained. 'Sorry I'm really sick,' Mitchell allegedly wrote. Alisa replied: 'So we meeting?' Mitchell responded: 'If you want to hear me sneezing and coughing and getting you sick, plus I wouldn't be much fun.' South Jordan Police requesting the search warrant alleged Alisa called Mitchell 'daddy' and they discussed 'couples twister' and 'sex monopoly' games. Alisa also requested multiple times for Mitchell to 'kidnap her' and eight days before she ran away sent him locations where she would be, the affidavit alleged. One of these was the Alta Ski Resort, where Alisa was on a trip with her parents the weekend before she disappeared - returning only hours earlier. Some of the photos her parents Olga and Nikolai released in the hope of finding her were taken on the same ski trip. Alisa returned from a family trip to Alta Ski Resort in Utah only hours before she disappeared. Some of the photos her parents released were taken on the same ski trip Police did not find any sexual images shared between the pair, and Mitchell has not been charged with a crime. However, police wrote in the warrant application that 'there is probable cause that there is evidence of enticement of a minor and exploitation of a minor on this phone'. After Mitchell said he was sick, Alisa instead allegedly arranged to meet Menard in Las Vegas while he was there on a business trip, and from there fly to Los Angeles, then his home in Miami. On April 21, Alisa was dropped off at her school, Canyon Grove Academy, in American Fork, about 32 miles south of Salt Lake City. But instead of going to class, she bought supplies at a nearby gas station and convinced a man there to drive her to the local train station. Alisa got off the train in Provo, about 14 miles south of American Fork, and asked multiple people there to help her get a bus ticket to Las Vegas. Police don't believe she met Menard, but the teenager hasn't been seen since, and no one knows where she went, who she is with, or how much danger she is in. Menard last week was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and three counts of criminal solicitation. Police seized his phone at his home in Miami on April 30, but he was never arrested, even after a search of his device allegedly uncovered disturbing messages. South Jordan Police, which is leading the case, told that Menard was not on the run, but refused to say why he wasn't in custody, despite a no-bail warrant being filed by the Utah Attorney General. Menard's lawyers, Collins Rupp in Bountiful, north of Salt Lake City, did not return calls. Menard, an IT sales executive, grew up in Noblesville outside Indianapolis the youngest of four brothers, then moved to Chicago and finally Miami. But beneath his clean-cut, designer stubbled face was allegedly a depraved desire to sexually abuse young girls. Police detailed in affidavits the disturbing messages between Alisa and Menard dating back to January 17. '[Menard] over the course of several months, corresponded with [the teen] for the purpose of soliciting sex, sodomy, and child sex abuse material from the minor,' the affidavit continued. '[He] discussed in graphic detail his intent to sexually abuse the child. [He] encouraged and engaged with [the teen] all from the state of Florida, where all his substantial ties to the community and resources are.' Glines was arrested in Texas City on May 8 and remains in custody charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. He was also charged by police in Texas with possessing more than 50 child sexual abuse images or videos. He is yet to enter a plea. The probable cause affidavit detailed disturbing conversations between Glines and Alisa, including how he allegedly convinced he to send nude photos and videos. '[Alisa] expresses feeling extremely uncomfortable and anxious sending pictures and photos of herself, to the point it made her want to self-harm,' it alleged. She was so uncomfortable that on one occasion when Glines allegedly threatened to punish her if she refused, she asked for the punishment instead. He told her to beat herself with a piece of wood or a hairbrush as hard as she could, explaining 'I'm a sadist'. 'I'm just saying if the average person knew I was talking to you they'd want to cut my f**king d**k [off],' he said during another conversation. Police have not said if any of the three men knew each other. '[Police] say they cannot guarantee [that Alisa is still alive], but there was no indication that she's not,' Alisa's mother, Olga Petrov, told 'They say they still have some leads... but we have no idea what kind of leads, they're not saying anything.' Olga said she and her husband, Nikolai, were vigilant in protecting their daughter and educated her about the dangers of talking to strangers online. 'We regularly check her phone and there was nothing suspicious. Everything seemed to be normal, just classmates, neighbors,' she said. 'We never thought she could be talking to strangers in this way.' The worried mother hoped Alisa was just staying away because 'I would assume she's really embarrassed.' She said Alisa didn't have much money and that she didn't have a coat, even though it was below 40 degrees on some of nights after she went missing. 'So somebody else is either helping her and we don't know who or where... I'm not suspecting the worst,' Olga said. 'That means she's with somebody else and we don't know if it's a good person or a bad person.' Alisa was very trusting of people and liked to strike up conversations with others in the park while hiking or on family holidays. 'She was always trying to meet people to talk to people, like I mean she was just trusting, and we cautioned her about it all the time to at least to be careful,' her mother said. 'That's just how she is... and they took advantage of her.' Petrov's desperate family is offering a $20,000 reward for anyone with information on her whereabouts. They set up a website with a desperate appeal to the teen, insisting she wouldn't be in trouble if she returned. '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,' her parents wrote. Police have classified the teen as an endangered runaway. She is described as standing about 5-foot-3 and weighing about 122 pounds. Surveillance footage from the gas station showed her wearing a white shirt with darker lettering on the front.
