Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Island police are reporting that a custodial interference investigation involving a six-year-old girl has led to an arrest warrant for her mother and the issuance of Arizona’s first-ever “Turquoise Alert” system to aid in the child’s location.
Following a July 19, 2025, media release regarding the pair’s disappearance, Hawaiʻi police received credible information indicating that 48-year-old Sarah Coultas, of Paʻauilo, and her daughter, Violet Coultas, six years old, are believed to be in the Phoenix area. An arrest warrant has since been issued for Sarah Coultas for violation of a court order.
Descriptions of the individuals:
- Sarah Coultas: Caucasian, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 160 pounds, with straight brown hair and hazel eyes.
- Violet Coultas: Caucasian, 3 feet 10 inches tall, 43 pounds, with blond hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, pink jacket, pink sweater, light-colored shorts, and white shoes.
Working in coordination with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General’s Missing Child Center and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, it was determined that Violet met the criteria for a Turquoise Alert. This statewide notification system, established following the passage of Emily’s Law in May 2025, helps locate missing and endangered persons under the age of 65, including tribal members. Emily’s Law is named in honor of Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache tribal member whose case brought national attention to the need for improved notification systems for missing, at-risk adults.
Criteria for Turquoise Alerts in Arizona:
- The missing person is under the age of 65.
- The investigating law enforcement agency has exhausted all available local resources.
- The person’s disappearance occurred under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.
- The missing person is believed to be in danger, in the company of a potentially dangerous person, or otherwise in peril.
- There is sufficient descriptive information available that, if shared, may help locate the person.
The Hawaiʻi Police Department extends its thanks to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for their assistance and collaboration in this ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Sarah Coultas or Violet Coultas is encouraged to contact the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311, or Detective Carrie Akina at (808) 326-4646, ext. 278, or via email at carrie.akina@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept strictly confidential.