Teen Rescued After 521 Days in Oregon Basement Using Online Game

Kylie Arellano disappeared from her home in Perry, Utah, on May 29, 2025, when she was 15 years old. Authorities initially treated the case as a possible runaway because she had packed belongings before leaving.

According to federal court documents, she had connected online with 39-year-old Adam Hunter Harmel, who allegedly offered her money and drove from Oregon to pick her up. After she entered his vehicle, he allegedly took her phone and threw it into a river in Logan Canyon.

“She used it to play the multiplayer game Among Us, where she connected with another minor and disclosed that she was being held against her will.”

Harmel then drove her across state lines to his home in Huntington, Oregon, where prosecutors say he kept her confined in a basement. A roommate of the suspect told investigators that she could not leave.

In October 2026, Harmel allegedly gave Arellano access to an old phone that could connect to Wi-Fi but had no cellular service. She used it to play the multiplayer game Among Us.

While playing, she connected with another minor and disclosed that she was being held against her will. She reportedly shared news reports about her own disappearance to prove her identity.

The other player informed their mother, who contacted the FBI. The rescue took place on November 1, when Arellano was 17 years old.

Federal officials are investigating the case and the online subculture known as 764, whose members are accused of grooming, blackmailing, and coercing children into acts of extreme harm.