Mother and Daughter in Custodial Interference Case Found Safe in Arizona

Media Release (Update #2)

Hawai‘i Island police report that a Pa‘auilo mother wanted in a custodial interference investigation and her six-year-old daughter were found safe on Wednesday evening, July 23, 2025, in Cottonwood, Arizona.

On July 19, Hawai‘i Island police issued a media release regarding the disappearance of 48-year-old Sarah Coultas and her daughter Violet Coultas (link to release). After learning that the pair was believed to be in Arizona, an arrest warrant was issued for Sarah Coultas for violation of a court order and the Arizona Department of Public Safety to issue a Turquoise Alert on Wednesday evening, July 23, the first ever issued in that state.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time) on Wednesday, the FBI contacted the Cottonwood Police Department with new information indicating the mother and daughter were in their jurisdiction. Cottonwood Police Department officers responded and successfully located the mother and daughter in the early morning hours of Thursday, July 24. Violet was found safe and asleep and was cared for by police until the Arizona Department of Child Safety arrived to take custody. Sarah Coultas was taken into custody without incident. The Turquoise Alert was cancelled a short time later.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Hawai‘i Police Department, the Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General (Missing Child Center Hawai‘i), the Cottonwood Police Department, AZDPS Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) personnel, the FBI, and vigilant members of the public, Violet is now safe and in protective care.

“We appreciate the hard work of our partner agencies in Hawai‘i, such as the FBI and the Missing Child Center Hawai‘i, as well as our law enforcement colleagues in Arizona,” said Major Thomas Shopay III, Commander of Area II Operations. “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.”

Turquoise Alerts are an essential tool in quickly notifying the public and mobilizing law enforcement when a vulnerable individual is missing,” said Colonel Jeffrey Glover, Director of the AZDPS. “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 in custody pending extradition to Hawai‘i and further legal proceedings.

This case underscores the importance of strong interagency communication and public awareness in time-sensitive investigations involving at-risk individuals.