VIDEO: San Francisco Police Find Missing Teen of Tech Founders in Van with 'Adult Friend'
The missing teenager of two tech founders was located in San Francisco on Saturday with a 26-year-old man.
Mint Butterfield, the child of billionaire Slack cofounder Stewart Butterfield and Flickr founder Caterina Fake, was located around 11:30 p.m. in the city's Tenderloin district, the San Francisco Standard reported Sunday.
Police found the teenager in a van with a man identified as Christopher “Kio” Dizefalo, who is now charged with abducting her.
Butterfield's mother contacted officials on April 22 and reported her missing, according to Breitbart News:
Mint Butterfield, the teenage child of Slack co-founder and former CEO Stewart Butterfield, has been found after being reported missing Tuesday. https://t.co/UzR31mLpXI
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) April 28, 2024
“Officials with the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said that before the teenager’s disappearance, she had been living with her mother and was enrolled at a private boarding school in Napa,” the outlet said, adding she was believed to have gone to the Tenderloin, an area that is notorious for open air drug dealing and drug use.
Butterfield allegedly has a history of substance abuse and has been in the area several times.
The Standard report continued:
Described by the Marin County Sheriff's Office as “an adult friend,” Dizefalo is suspected of coaxing Mint into leaving home six days prior.
Records show Dizefalo is jailed in Marin County on suspicion of multiple felonies, including child abduction, as well as a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His bail is set at $50,000.
Officials said Butterfield has since been reunited with family.
According to a New York Post report, “Mint, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, was deemed 'at-risk' due to previous threats of suicide.”
In a statement, Butterfield's family, including stepfather and fellow tech founder Jyri Engeström, expressed gratitude to those who helped locate the teenager, per the Standard.
“A heartfelt thanks to all the family, friends, volunteers and strangers who called in tips and made this recovery possible. We especially want to thank the seasoned law enforcement officers who understand the very real threat of predators who use the allure of drugs to groom teenagers,” the statement read.
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