08.11.2026 09:12
Kylie Arellano, 17, who disappeared in the US at age 15 and was held captive in the basement of a house for about 500 days, was rescued thanks to an online game she played. The young girl's cry for help reached the FBI after she told another player during the game that she was being held captive. The young girl, who was repeatedly abused and forced to remove her braces with pliers so that she would not be identified, was rescued, while the 39-year-old suspect was taken into custody.
Kylie Arellano, who disappeared in the US state of Utah in May 2025, saw her captivity of approximately 500 days end thanks to a call for help she made while playing an online game. The young girl, who was only 15 when she disappeared, told another player that she was being held in the basement of a house in the state of Oregon. After the situation was reported to the authorities, FBI teams took action and rescued 17-year-old Arellano. What she said about what she experienced during the time she was held was entered into the investigation file.
SHE TOLD THE PERSON SHE MET IN THE GAME THAT SHE WAS BEING HELD CAPTIVE
Kylie Arellano met another player in October 2026 in the online game Among Us. The communication that began during the game later continued through a different app. The young girl revealed her real identity to the person she was talking to and said that she had been held by a man in Oregon for a long time and was not allowed to leave the house.
The mother of the other player, learning what Arellano had said, reported the situation to the authorities. After the tip reached the FBI, contact was made with the young girl. An operation was launched to rescue Arellano, who provided information about her location and what she had experienced during the interviews.
FBI TEAMS RESCUED THE YOUNG GIRL HELD IN THE BASEMENT
FBI teams reached the house in Huntington, Oregon, on November 1. Arellano, about whom no news had been received for approximately a year and a half, was removed from where she was being held and taken to a safe location. After the young girl underwent a medical check, her statement about what she had experienced was taken.
As part of the investigation, 39-year-old Adam Hunter Harmel was also caught and taken into custody. The investigation file included the information that Harmel had met the young girl online and had gone to Utah in May 2025 and taken her into his car.
HE THREW HER PHONE INTO THE RIVER AND DID NOT ALLOW HER TO LEAVE THE HOUSE
According to Arellano's statement, while taking her to Oregon, Harmel threw her mobile phone into the river. In this way, he prevented her from communicating with her family. Harmel, who took the young girl to his house in Huntington, did not allow her to go outside there.
The young girl said that she was held in the basement of the house for a long time, that she was prevented from escaping, and that she had to live under constant surveillance. Arellano also stated that Harmel kept a knife under his pillow and said that for this reason she did not dare to leave the house.
HE HAD HER BRACES REMOVED SO HER IDENTITY WOULD NOT BE RECOGNIZED
One of the most striking details about what the young girl experienced was her braces. Arellano said that Harmel asked her to remove her braces using pliers in order to make it harder for her identity to be recognized.
The young girl's statements, in which she stated that she was subjected to physical and sexual abuse many times during the time she was held, were entered into the federal investigation file. It was stated that Arellano was kept away from the outside world for a long time and was prevented from communicating with her family.
THE SUSPECT GAVE HER THE PHONE THAT ENABLED HER RESCUE
One of the striking details of the incident was the phone that enabled Arellano to make her call for help. Harmel later gave the young girl a phone that could only be used with a wireless internet connection. Thanks to this device, Arellano was able to access online games.
The young girl told the person she met while playing Among Us about her situation, thus taking the first step that led to her rescue from captivity lasting approximately 500 days. The other player's mother informing the authorities was decisive in resolving the incident.
HER MOTHER HAD NO NEWS FROM HER DAUGHTER FOR 18 MONTHS
Kylie Arellano's mother, Stephanie Coleman, said that on the night her daughter disappeared, she exchanged messages with her and they wished each other good night. However, shortly afterward, the young girl's phone could not be reached. After it was understood the next morning that Arellano was not at home, her family applied to the police.
Worried that her daughter might have been taken by someone she met online, the mother waited for good news for months. After about a year and a half, the family's long wait ended when Arellano was found alive.
FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST THE 39-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT
After the incident, a federal legal process was initiated against Adam Hunter Harmel, who was taken into custody, on charges of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to commit a sexual offense.
While authorities continued the investigation into what the young girl experienced during the period she was held, the incident revealed how a communication established during an online game could turn into a life-saving call for help.