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Mint Butterfield, the missing child of Slack’s co-founder, was found in San Francisco on Saturday night with an adult man at least 10 years older than her who is now facing kidnapping charges. The 16-year-old was found with Christopher “Kio” Dizefalo, 26, Marin County Sheriff’s Office said
Butterfield who identifies as nonbinary and prefers they/them pronouns, went missing from their Bolinas home the last week. Dizefalo, described by the sheriff as an “adult friend,” was arrested and taken into custody at Marin County Jail on suspicion of child abduction and other related offenses, per arrest records obtained by the San Francisco Standard. He was detained with bail set at $50,000.
Missing and Found
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Investigators say that learned Butterfield had been in contact with Dizefalo who was known driving a white van. After locating the vehicle, officers found Butterfield inside. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office said that Butterfield was found unharmed and had voluntarily run away from home.
Earlier in the week, authorities had classified Mint as “at-risk” due to a reported prior threat of suicide.
Authorities said that Butterfield had left her mother’s home with a suitcase and left a note saying that she was leaving. However, Dizefalo is suspected of coaxing the teenager to run away, according to the Standard.
Police suspected she was in the Tenderloin area.
The troubled teenager, who has reportedly struggled with addiction issues in the past, is enrolled in a private boarding school in the Napa Valley.
The Tenderloin area is notorious as the epicenter of the fentanyl crisis in San Francisco, characterized by deplorable living conditions, high rates of homelessness, rampant crime, drug trafficking, and prostitution.
Mystery Still Not Over
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Mint’s parents, Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of the instant messaging app Slack, which was sold to Salesforce in 2020, and Caterina Fake, co-founder of the photo-sharing app Flickr, thanked the investigators for ensuring the safe return of their child.
“A heartfelt thanks to all the family, friends, volunteers and strangers who called in tips and made this recovery possible,” their parents and stepfather, fellow tech founder Jyri Engeström, said in an email to the Standard and other local outlets. “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.”
Fake and Butterfield married in 2001 and stayed together until 2007, when their child was born. Butterfield has since married Jen Rubio, co-founder of Away, an American luggage and travel accessories brand, and they have two young children together.
Fake is currently in a relationship with Jyri Engestrom, co-founder of Jaiku, and the couple have three children together.
Mint was last seen on the evening of April 21 in Bolinas and was reported missing by their mother the following morning.
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