16-year-old girl missing out of Garden City found safe

UPDATE, 6/10/24, 12:37 p.m.: Stormy, the 16-year-old girl missing out of Rich County, has been found safe, according to the Rich County Sheriff’s Office .

“Stormy has been located. She is alive and safe,” the sheriff’s office posted on social media . “The Rich County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all of you who shared this post and helped locate Stormy. Without your help, she would not have been located. Special thanks to a number of our local businesses, in-state, out-of-state and federal law enforcement agencies. Huge thank you to all the news and media agencies.”

No further information is available at this time.

ORIGINAL STORY: RICH COUNTY, Utah ( ABC4 ) — The Department of Public Safety activated a Utah Endangered Missing Advisory for a 16-year-old girl last seen in Garden City on Sunday afternoon.

According to officials, Stormy, 16, was last seen around 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, June 9. She reportedly texted her parents to say she would not be home before leaving her place of work — Bear Lake Laundry in Garden City — with the suspect.

Stormy is said to weigh around 165 pounds, be about 5’6″ to 5’8″ tall, and have black hair and hazel eyes. She has a fair complexion and was last seen wearing a black tank top with dark blue jeans and a “small black backpack purse,” officials said.

Utahns are being advised to be on the lookout for Stormy, as well as the suspect and the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect is described as having short brown hair, scruffy facial hair and a large scratch on the left side of his face.

The suspect was reportedly wearing a “gray and white western shirt” along with a dark-colored hat that said “nomad” on it. Officials do not know his name at this time, but said he is possibly in his early 20s and from North Dakota.

“The suspect was possibly driving a red or maroon 4 door sedan with a possible light-colored front bumper,” the Rich County Sheriff’s Office said on social media . “The suspect had been talking to the victim online and may have driven from North Dakota to pick her up.”

Stormy and the suspect have reportedly been communicating via the internet. Her phone was reportedly found by officers several feet away from her job.

If you have any information regarding Stormy’s whereabouts, contact the Rich County Sheriff’s Office at 435-793-2285. Anyone who sees the pair has been asked by officials to not approach them.

What to do when speaking to law enforcement about a missing person

More than 600,000 people go missing each year in the United States, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind if someone you know goes missing .

Utah officials suggest taking notes on interactions with law enforcement to keep track of details such as officer names, dates and times of interactions, the case number and what the officers say.

When working with local law enforcement to report a missing person, it is recommended one shares as much information as possible about the missing person, including but not limited to:

• Full name or nicknames.
• Recent photos.
• Date of birth and age at the time they disappeared.
• Gender/sex.
• Detailed physical description (including unique scars or tattoos).
• Date of disappearance.
• Medical conditions.
• Last known location.
• Social media accounts.

Additional resources

For more information, the Department of Public Safety has a page on its website dedicated to resources for missing persons , as well as pages to view missing persons from Utah .

Additional hotlines and resources originally compiled in a 2021 guidebook are available below:

National Domestic Violence Hotline : 800-799-7233

National Human Trafficking Hotline : 888-373-7888

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) : 833-872-5176

National Runaway Safeline : 800-786-2929

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : 800-273-8255

StrongHearts Native Helpline : 844-762-8483

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