Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi – A mother and her six-year-old daughter from Paʻauilo, who were the subjects of a Hawaiʻi custodial interference investigation and Arizona’s first-ever Turquoise Alert, were located safe in Cottonwood, Arizona, in the early morning hours of Thursday, July 24, 2025. They were found at a local women’s shelter.
The disappearance of 48-year-old Sarah Coultas and her daughter Violet Coultas became a subject of concern in mid-July. Sarah Coultas is identified as a non-custodial parent wanted for violation of a court order, alleged to have fled Hawaiʻi with Violet.
Information regarding their disappearance began circulating widely on the public Facebook group “Big Island Thieves” and Big Island Thieves Media Instagram as early as July 15, 2025, through stories and direct posts appearing on July 16. The Hawaiʻi Island Police Department subsequently issued its official public media release regarding the pair on July 19, 2025 (Police report # 25-064058).
Hawaiʻi police later received credible information that the pair was believed to be in Arizona. This was then substantiated by surveillance footage showing them at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on July 12, 2025, at 10:01 PM MST. Based on their confirmed presence in Arizona and local resources being exhausted, the Arizona Department of Public Safety then issued the statewide Turquoise Alert at 10:01 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, to aid in locating them. This marked the inaugural use of the new alert system in Arizona.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time) on Wednesday, the FBI contacted the Cottonwood Police Department with new information on their whereabouts. Cottonwood Police officers responded swiftly, locating the mother and daughter at a local women’s shelter by approximately 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 24.
Violet was found safe, asleep, and undisturbed. She was cared for by police and shelter staff until the Arizona Department of Child Safety arrived and took custody. Sarah Coultas was taken into custody without incident on a nationwide felony warrant related to the custodial interference investigation. The Turquoise Alert was cancelled a short time later.
The successful outcome is attributed to the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Hawaiʻi Police Department, the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General (Missing Child Center Hawaiʻi), the Cottonwood Police Department, AZDPS Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) personnel, the FBI, bolstered by crucial information and heightened community awareness generated through public outreach efforts, including on social media.
Major Thomas Shopay III, Commander of Area II Operations, expressed appreciation for the teamwork: “We appreciate the hard work of our partner agencies in Hawaiʻi, such as the FBI and the Missing Child Center Hawaiʻi, as well as our law enforcement colleagues in Arizona. We thank AZDPS for issuing a Turquoise Alert. This was truly a group effort and a great example of a young child being found quickly through teamwork and community involvement.”
Colonel Jeffrey Glover, Director of the AZDPS, affirmed the system’s effectiveness: “Turquoise Alerts are an essential tool in quickly notifying the public and mobilizing law enforcement when a vulnerable individual is missing. In this case, the system worked exactly as intended. We are grateful for the teamwork and commitment of all those who contributed to Violet’s safe recovery.”
Sarah Coultas is currently in custody pending extradition to Hawaiʻi and further legal proceedings.
Understanding Child Alert Systems in Hawaiʻi: Amidst questions regarding alert systems in such cases, it is important to note the specific criteria for Hawaiʻi’s MAILE AMBER Alert. This alert can be activated when police believe a child (17 years or younger) has been abducted and is in immediate danger of serious bodily injury or death, and there is sufficient descriptive information available. The MAILE AMBER Alert is typically not issued for runaways or general custodial interference cases unless the child is determined to be at immediate risk of harm. This case did not meet the strict criteria for a Maile alert. For more detailed information on the MAILE AMBER Alert criteria, the public can visit the Department of the Attorney General’s Missing Child Center Hawaiʻi website at https://ag.hawaii.gov/cpja/mcch/maile-amber-alert/.
The swift resolution of this case highlights the power of robust interagency communication combined with the broad reach of media and social media platforms in time-sensitive investigations.