Utah teen runaway now considered missing and endangered

Springville police are asking for the public's help to bring home a 16-year-old girl after she ran off with a 19-year-old man she considers her fiance.

Katy Kendall left home in the early morning hours of April 23 with Zachary Metcalf and has stopped communicating with her family since, according to police. Because she's cut off contact and left Utah County, police have upgraded her from a runaway to a missing and endangered child.

"We kind of had an idea she was close by, but now she's dropped off the grid," said Lt. David Caron.

Metcalf, who is from Texas, is reportedly in the U.S. Army Reserve and came to Utah in March or April, according to a news release. The girl's mother, Connie Kendall, told police that Katy began seeing Metcalf in mid-April and said in an online post that they are engaged.

When Katy left home, she went to a friend's house in Provo, at which point Kendall reported her daughter missing to police. Officers went to the friend's home only to learn Kate and Metcalf had taken a bus to Salt Lake City, where they were last seen. Metcalf pawned the Kendall family laptop in Salt Lake City, according to the release.

Springville police don't know where the couple have gone and have had no success contacting them through friends or associates.

"We don't know if they are trying to go back to Texas or stay in Utah, where she has friends," Caron said.

Katy is described as 6 feet, 200 pounds with reddish hair and dyed-blonde bangs. Metcalf is about 5-foot-10, 150 to 160 pounds and has light brown hair.

Anyone who knows their whereabouts is asked to call the Springville Police Department at 801-489-9421 or by accessing the Tip-a-Cop form on the department's website at www.springville.org/police/dps-home-page/tip-a-cop.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mikeypanda