A Utah teenager who was held captive for nearly 18 months used an online game to raise alarm that eventually led to her rescue, court documents have revealed. The search for Kylie Arellano, 17, ended with the arrest of 39-year-old Adam Hunter Harmel, who allegedly kidnapped and transported her to Oregon and kept her captive for over 500 days.
Oregon State Police and federal agents rescued the teenager the same day, Fox News reported. She could connect to the internet using Wi-Fi. She was taken for medical treatment while Harmel was taken into custody without incident. “We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable. To anyone using gore groups to target and exploit children: the FBI and our partners are coming for you. We are using every tool at our disposal to combat nihilistic violent extremism, bring offenders to justice and protect America’s children.”
(Also read: Kylie Arellano update: Missing Utah teen found safe in Oregon after 17 months search; FBI warns against ‘Gore Groups’ as man arrested ) According to court documents seen by Newsweek, Harmel eventually gave Arellano a phone without cellular data.
“Tonight, local police in Oregon brought a minor who had been missing for a year and a half to safety, acting on information provided by our FBI Salt Lake City Field Office,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
In May 2025, he “drove to Utah to pick up the victim, and then transported the victim to his residence across state lines. He was charged in a federal complaint on November 2.
Harmel met the teenager online, according to the US Department of Justice.
