Mint Butterfield, the missing child of Slack’s co-founder, was found in San Francisco with an adult man named Christopher “Kio” Dizefalo. Dizefalo, who is a decade older than Mint, is facing kidnapping charges. The 16-year-old, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, disappeared from their Bolinas home and was found with Dizefalo in the city’s Tenderloin District. Dizefalo, described as an “adult friend,” was arrested on suspicion of child abduction and other violations.
Mint, who was deemed “at-risk” due to previous threats of suicide, was found inside Dizefalo’s white van by a parking valet on Eddy Street in San Francisco. Despite the circumstances, Mint was uninjured and told detectives that they had voluntarily run away from home. However, Dizefalo is suspected of coaxing the teen to run away. Mint’s parents, Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake, thanked investigators for bringing their child home and expressed gratitude to all who provided tips and support during the search.
Authorities believed that Mint had been in the Tenderloin neighborhood before running away from home and was known to frequent the area. Mint was last seen in Bolinas on April 21 and was reported missing the following morning by their mother. The teen had allegedly left a note indicating their intention to run away before being found with Dizefalo. Dizefalo was booked at Marin County Jail on $50,000 bail and is facing kidnapping charges and other violations.
The arrest records obtained by the San Francisco Standard revealed that Dizefalo was being held on suspicion of child abduction. Mint, who was reunited with their family after being found, was grateful for the support from law enforcement and others who helped in the recovery. Mint’s parents and stepfather, fellow tech founder Jyri Engeström, expressed their heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the search and emphasized the dangers posed by predators who use drugs to groom teenagers.
Mint’s parents, who have a background in tech with Stewart Butterfield co-founding Slack and Caterina Fake co-founding Flickr, were relieved to have their child back home safely. Mint, who uses they/them pronouns, has been through a traumatic experience but was fortunate to be found unharmed. The incident shed light on the vulnerability of at-risk teenagers and the dangers they can face from individuals like Dizefalo, who are suspected of coaxing them into running away. The family’s gratitude extended to law enforcement, volunteers, and members of the public who played a role in Mint’s safe return.
