15-year-old Alisa Petrov reported missing again after triggering a nationwide search with her first disappearance

Alisa Petrov‘s parents reported their 15-year-old daughter missing again from their Sandy, Utah home around 3 p.m. Saturday, July 12, this year, prompting a second missing and endangered teen advisory from police in less than six months.

This time, reports say Petrov was located and reunited with her family around 10 p.m. that same night. It’s not immediately clear where Petrov was found. In their initial report, Utah law enforcement said Petrov, who was reportedly on foot when she vanished on July 12, is known to hitchhike and ask people for rides. Last time Petrov ran away, the department added that she “hitched rides” from vehicles and semi-trucks out of state.

Petrov’s first disappearance

Before the July incident, Petrov’s parents reported her missing the first time in April, prompting a high-profile nationwide search and leading to the arrests of three men connected to her disappearance. In June, Petrov turned herself in in Colorado, some 500 miles away from her home, and she returned to her family. Investigators discovered Petrov had communicated with three men online, who were subsequently charged with explicit contact and abuse of a minor.

It’s still not known if any of the men — Samuel Teancum Mitchell, 41, of Herriman, Utah; Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, of Miami, Florida; and William Taylor Glines, 37, of Texas City, Texas — were directly involved in Petrov’s first missing persons case, though their online contact reportedly played a part in Petrov’s decision to run away.

“Why does she keep doing this? “

Social media response to news that Petrov had disappeared from her home a second time noted the concerning pattern. “Why does she keep doing this?” one commenter wrote in part. “Obviously this needs to be checked out why does she keep running away?” another said. And finally, “South Jordan Police Department maybe you should start an investigation on as to why shes leaving home like this. This is dangerous and her parents could possibly be charged with endangering the welfare of a child and neglect,” another added.

In their update, the South Jordan Utah Police Department said, “The South Jordan Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to the SLC Police Department and all assisting agencies for their support and swift action in ensuring Alisa’s safe return.”