Missing Utah Teen Alisa Petrov Found Safe After Six Weeks
Fifteen-year-old Alisa Petrov from South Jordan, Utah, who had been missing for six weeks, walked into the Stetson Hills police station in Colorado Springs on Sunday night and identified herself. Authorities confirmed she was safe and in good health.
How Alisa got to the station—and whether she was held against her will—remains under investigation. “Alisa’s parents have been notified and are working with South Jordan Police to bring her home,” police said.
Her parents, Nikolai and Olga Petrov, expressed relief. “We are all really happy Alisa is found and looking forward to seeing her!” Nikolai posted on Facebook, thanking local police and the Salt Lake City FBI for their efforts.
According to investigators, Alisa went missing on April 21. Rather than entering school that morning, she convinced a man at a gas station to drive her to the train station. She traveled to Provo and later tried to get a bus ticket to Las Vegas, where she planned to meet 35-year-old Matthew Nicholas Menard.
An affidavit revealed Alisa had been having s*xual conversations with three men. The exchanges were discovered on a hidden iPad found in her dresser. All three men now face charges for exchanging explicit messages with a minor.
Her mother, Olga, said they had no idea about Alisa’s secret communications. “We regularly checked her phone and everything seemed normal. We didn’t know… I wish we figured this out sooner.”
Though Alisa is safe, the investigation into her disappearance is ongoing.
