How online game ‘Among Us’ helped rescue 17-year-old Utah teen who was held captive for more than 500 days

AN ONLINE VIDEO GAME, Among Us helped save the life of a Utah teenager who was kidnapped by a man from Huntington. The 17-year-old girl had been missing for more than 500 days and was held captive against her will. She was provided with Wi-Fi access, which she used to play the game. After making a friend, she informed them about her situation, prompting her rescue by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to reports by Newsweek, the girl, Kylie Arellano, was 15 years old when she was kidnapped on May 29, 2025, from Garden City, Utah, USA. She was kidnapped by a man named Adam Hunter Harmel, who was 39 years old. After kidnapping her, the man took her to his home in Huntington, Oregon, USA. Harmel allegedly kept her in the basement, repeatedly assaulted her, and refused to let her leave, forcing her to stay.

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The Utah teenager's kidnapping

As per the US Department of Justice, the man made contact with 15-year-old Arellano online in May 2025 and offered her money for her services. He said that he had a disability affecting his hips and wanted her to help him travel to Oregon. In return, he would pay her money. On the day of the kidnapping, he drove from Oregon to Perry, Utah, so that he could pick up Arellano. When she got inside the vehicle, things changed.

The man allegedly took her phone, threw it into the river in Logan Canyon, and drove away to his home. After reaching the location, Harmel told her that she could not leave the place. As per Newsweek, one of Harmel's housemates told investigators that he had introduced the girl as his new girlfriend. In the house, the girl used to live in the basement, where Harmel also used to sleep. The girl was repeatedly assaulted by him, and his behaviour turned increasingly violent. He was hitting her and preventing her from leaving.

After some time, he gave the girl a mobile phone without cellular data. She could only use the internet through Wi-Fi, and there was no other way to contact anyone.

She started playing the online game Among Us, unaware that the game would save her. Among Us is a multiplayer game that became increasingly popular during the pandemic. In the game, players attempt to repair a broken spaceship while some traitors among the crew members try to sabotage their efforts. In the end, everyone votes together to identify the traitor.

How did Among Us help rescue the girl?

In the game, she started communicating with another child and became friends with them. The conversation then moved to another social media platform, where Arellano explained that she was being held captive against her will by a man in Oregon. As per reports, she also said that perhaps the police had stopped looking for her.

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The other player informed their mother, who then took the information seriously and contacted the FBI.

The police then arranged a video call with Arellano on November 1, 2026. During the video call, she explained everything, including what had happened, how she was kidnapped by Harmel, and what happened during her time in confinement.

An FBI affidavit mentioned that Harmel used to keep a knife beneath his pillow and make her sleep against the wall so that she could not escape. The girl also showed investigators the knife as evidence, along with other items.  The same day, Oregon police and the FBI came to rescue her from the property and took her to the hospital for a medical examination. Harmel was also arrested during a traffic stop in Ontario, Oregon.

FBI Director Kash Patel also spoke about the incident, first confirming that the teenager had been rescued and then saying that the police investigation had been going on for more than a year.

And this is how she was saved after 18 months of confinement through the game Among Us. Harmel, however, was charged with transporting the teenager across state lines for the purpose of exploiting her. He appeared in federal court in Boise, Idaho, on November 4, 2026.

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