The week-long search for Mint Butterfield, the 16-year-old child of tech elites Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield, ended safely as the teen was found in San Francisco on April 27. Mint was reported missing from their Marin County home since April 21, after writing a note to their mother, Caterina Fake, a founder of Flickr, that signaled an intent to run away. It is worth noting that the teen's father is also a notable figure in the tech world, as he was previously the CEO of Slack. Today, the Marin County Sheriff's Office reported that the teenager was located inside a van in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood, with the arrest of 26-year-old Christopher "Kio" Dizefalo on suspicion of child stealing and other violations.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Mint was with Dizefalo, who was taken into custody on Eddy Street. The SF Chronicle reported that Dizefalo works as parking valet. Details from the local authorities note that the child was unharmed and expressed that they had voluntarily left home. The Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of the San Francisco Police Department, the Oakland Police Department, and the FBI, as stated by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Throughout the ordeal, misinformation spread through social media and other channels, complicating the search efforts. The Marin County Sheriff's Office cautioned against this spread and disseminated an official channel for tips regarding Mint's whereabouts, as described by a press release obtained by Hoodline. Mint, deemed "At-Risk" earlier due to a reported previous threat of suicide, is known to have connections to the Tenderloin District, where they also shared a home with their mother.

The safe return of Mint has elicited a wave of relief among the Silicon Valley community and the Butterfield-Fake family. In a heartfelt statement obtained by The Standard, they conveyed, "A heartfelt thanks to all family, friends, volunteers and strangers who called in tips and made this recovery possible." They also underscored the dedication of law enforcement, who are attuned to dangers, such as predators leveraging drugs to exploit teenagers. Supervisor Matt Dorsey's Twitter pleas for public help stood out in the mobilized efforts to locate the missing teen, providing a now-conclusive endpoint to this episode as reported by Hoodline.