A Utah teenager kidnapped by an alleged predator at 15 helped bring about her own rescue after more than 500 days in captivity by contacting another child through the online game Among Us.
Kylie Arellano, now 17, disappeared from her home in Garden City, Utah, on May 29, 2025. Her disappearance triggered a massive multi-agency search that extended across the United States and into several other countries.
The crucial breakthrough came last month, when Arellano connected with another player on the popular game and disclosed who she was.
According to federal court documents, she told the child that she was being held at a man’s home in Oregon and believed authorities had stopped searching for her.
She also sent the online friend news reports about her disappearance.
Federal authorities said the child’s mother then contacted the FBI, which arranged to monitor a video call between the pair on November 1.
During the call, Arellano explained that she had met 39-year-old Adam Hunter Harmel, who took her to his home in Huntington, Oregon.
She showed investigators the knife he allegedly kept beside his bed, along with other evidence that supported her account. Oregon State Police and federal agents rescued her from the property later that day and took her for medical treatment.
Kylie Arellano, 17, helped secure her freedom after spending more than 500 days in captivity. Source: Rich County Sheriff’s Office
According to court documents, she revealed her identity after contacting another child through the game Among Us
Federal authorities now allege that the teenager was groomed through online gaming platforms before her conversations shifted to other social media apps.
Arellano’s parent told authorities that she had been sending sexually explicit images and videos to people online in exchange for money.
In May 2025, Harmel allegedly contacted Arellano, telling her he was disabled, that his hips were “messed up” and offering her money to travel to Oregon, according to a federal complaint filed in the US District Court of Utah.
Harmel allegedly drove to Utah to collect Arellano, took her to his Oregon home, threw her phone into a river and forced her to remain inside.
The pair allegedly slept in the same bed in the basement, where Arellano was made to sleep next to a wall.
Investigators say Harmel became increasingly violent during the nearly year-and-a-half-long captivity, frequently hitting Arellano and stopping her from leaving.
He allegedly kept a knife beneath his pillow to stop her from escaping at night and forced her to remove her braces with pliers so that she could not be identified.
According to the criminal complaint, Arellano said Harmel told her he wanted to start a family with her and indicated that he had a sexual preference for minors.
Eventually, Harmel gave her a cellphone without cellular data, allowing her to connect to the internet only through Wi-Fi. That was enough for her to play Among Us.
Arellano’s parent told authorities that the teenager had sent sexually explicit images and videos to people online in exchange for money. She is pictured with her mother. Source: Stephanie Kaye/Facebook
After Arellano was rescued, investigators interviewed Harmel’s housemate, who said Harmel had introduced her as his new girlfriend.
The housemate said Harmel told him he was traveling to Utah to pick up his girlfriend, but he did not see Arellano until roughly two months after she arrived.
A search of the home uncovered items that investigators said supported parts of Arellano’s account, including sexual lubricant.
Harmel was arrested during a traffic stop in Ontario, Oregon, and booked into the Malheur County Jail, according to KGW.
He is charged with traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. If convicted, the charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years.
Harmel did not enter a plea when he appeared in court in Boise, Idaho, on November 4. He is scheduled to return to court for a detention hearing on Tuesday.
It remains unclear when Harmel will be extradited to Utah. The Daily Mail contacted the local sheriff’s department, the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI for additional information.
Authorities say Harmel contacted Arellano in May 2025, claiming he was disabled, that his hips were “messed up” and offering her money to travel to Oregon. Source: stefery84/Instagram
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It has also emerged that Harmel was accused of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl only months before he allegedly kidnapped Arellano.
Eric Solari told NBC News that his young daughter went to Harmel’s neighboring home for a sleepover with his daughter in 2024. When she returned, she said “something wasn’t right.”
“She didn’t tell us what was wrong,” he said. “There was a secret, but she couldn’t remember what it was.”
Several months later, in late October or early November 2024, Solari said his daughter told her parents that she had been sexually abused during the sleepover.
Solari said he and his wife immediately contacted the Baker County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon after learning of the allegation. Authorities interviewed their daughter.
The case went before a grand jury, which declined to indict Harmel but left the matter open to future evidence, Baker County District Attorney Greg Baxter said.
Solari said Harmel became hostile after his family reported the allegation.
“He started getting really nasty and he would cuss at neighbors, flip off neighbors, be vocal to us,” he said.
Arellano was found at a home in Huntington, Oregon, where she allegedly slept in the same basement bed as Harmel
The family eventually obtained protective orders against Harmel and his then-wife. Both orders were granted in March 2025 and remain in effect until Solari’s daughter turns 18.
Two months after the protective order was filed, Solari said Harmel moved into a relative’s home across the street from his daughter’s school.
Court records obtained by NBC News show that Harmel’s wife filed for divorce in an Idaho court in May 2025. The divorce was finalized in January.
When the school year began again in August, Solari said Harmel violated the protection order.
“Our daughter would be at school. We knew Adam was passing by the school while she was there, which violated the protection order,” Solari alleged. “The school was calling, we were calling and nothing was being done.”
The concerned father now believes Arellano could have been found sooner if law enforcement had checked Harmel’s home.
“If they would have gone and followed through on these calls, she would have been found,” he said. “Or if they would have followed through on my daughter’s case, she never would have been abducted.”
Solari and his family eventually moved away, allowing his daughter to “finally feel safe.”
When they learned that Harmel had been arrested, Solari said he and his wife were “just devastated” and “flabbergasted.”
Arellano disappeared on May 29, 2025. A major multi-agency investigation followed before she was rescued on November 1. Source: Rich County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
Huntington is a small town where residents know one another, Solari said, adding that the community was devastated by the allegations.
“From the people that I talk to, they’re very upset. Like they don’t want him there. Like they don’t want their kids in danger.”
Solari said he still wants Harmel to face charges over the allegations involving his daughter.
“It sucks that we had to get the justice through somebody else getting injured and God, I wish that would have never happened. But as long as he’s off the streets, that’s my biggest thing.”
“We want to see this man go away for life,” he continued, speaking for himself and his wife. “We want to see justice for our children—and when I say our children, I mean all children. We need to stop protecting the predators and start protecting the children.”
In a statement to NBC News, Baxter, the Baker County district attorney, said his office was actively investigating Solari’s daughter’s case and had obtained a warrant the previous week.
“This is kind of like the earthquake that is bringing some more stuff, so to speak,” he said of the federal charges.
“I’ve been in contact with the federal attorney and the FBI to see if there’s anything we can use from their case in our case,” the district attorney added.
The Daily Mail also contacted the Baker County District Attorney’s Office for comment.
