A 26-year-old man faces charges after the child of two tech moguls was discovered in the back of his van.
Mint Butterfield, aged 16, was found by the police in San Francisco on Saturday after being missing for six days.
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Butterfield, who prefers they/them pronouns, comes from a lineage of tech entrepreneurs. Their parents, Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield, joined forces to create Flickr in 2004, and later, Stewart Butterfield went on to co-found the widely popular platform, Slack.
An extensive search effort was launched in Tenderloin, a San Francisco neighborhood renowned for homelessness, crime, and drugs, in an attempt to locate the missing individuals.
The police had issued a warning, expressing concerns about the teenager’s safety due to a previous suicide threat. Additionally, they categorized Butterfield as a voluntary missing individual, as it seemed that they had left home on their own accord.
According to a press release from the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, Butterfield was discovered safe in San Francisco on Saturday. He was found in the back of a white van that belonged to Christopher “Kio” Dizefalo.
According to the press release, Dizefalo, who was referred to as an “adult friend” of Butterfield’s, has been apprehended in relation to several criminal offenses. He has been placed under arrest at Marin County Jail, with a bail amount of $50,000 being set for him.
Dizefalo was taken into custody for several charges, including “Contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” “unlawful sexual intercourse,” and “child stealing,” as stated in an email from Adam Schermerhorn, a representative for Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Schermerhorn, all charges were connected to Butterfield’s disappearance. The police stated that they suspect Butterfield left home of their own accord.
According to Schermerhorn, he expressed his belief to The San Francisco Standard that there was no foul play involved in the alleged kidnapping or any other incident, despite what some individuals were speculating.
Dizefalo does not have a lawyer listed.
According to the Standard, Butterfield’s parents and stepdad, Jyri Engestrรถm, expressed their gratitude to everyone who played a part in the recovery, including family, friends, volunteers, and even strangers who called in tips.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to the experienced law enforcement officers who possess a deep understanding of the genuine danger posed by predators who manipulate teenagers through the enticement of drugs,” they expressed their gratitude.
According to the New York Post, Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake tied the knot in 2001 but eventually divorced in 2007.
In 2004, they joined forces to co-found Flickr. The company was later sold to Yahoo in 2005 for approximately $30 million, as reported by the outlet.
Stewart Butterfield, alongside Cal Henderson, co-founded Slack in 2013. However, in December 2022, Butterfield made the decision to step away from the company.
According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at $1.6 billion.
