PHOENIX – A missing West Valley teenager, 16-year-old Destiny Bateman, was found safe in southern Utah early Monday morning alongside her alleged kidnapper, Isaac Martin, age 29, who is now in custody, according to the Avondale Police Department. The discovery was made around 3:40 a.m. in Kane County, Utah.
Authorities issued a missing/endangered juvenile alert for Bateman on Sunday, identifying Martin as her possible boyfriend. The teen was last seen at her home near Buckeye Road and Avondale Boulevard around 1 a.m. She later texted her family around 8:50 a.m., mentioning plans to travel to New Mexico, which raised alarms.
Martin will be extradited to Arizona to face kidnapping charges. Meanwhile, the Utah Division of Child and Family Services is working to reunite Bateman with her family in Arizona.
