Missing Utah Teen Rescued From Oregon Basement Via Among Us Game
A Utah teenager missing for over 500 days was rescued from an Oregon basement after sending a cry for help via the online game Among Us. Federal authorities arrested 39-year-old Adam Hunter Harmel on charges of interstate transportation of a minor.
A teenager from Utah who went missing for more than 500 days has been rescued from a basement in Oregon after she reached out for help through the online video game Among Us. According to federal court documents, 17-year-old Kaylee Ariano was rescued on November 1 after a fellow player alerted the FBI.
The suspect, 39-year-old Adam Hunter Harmel, has been charged with transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Prosecutors state that Harmel kept the victim confined in a basement, repeatedly assaulting and beating her after she disappeared from her home in Garden City, Utah, in May 2025 at the age of 15.
The Rescue Operation
The breakthrough came in October when the victim began playing Among Us and connected with another young player. The communication later shifted to a social media application, where Ariano revealed her true identity and stated that she was being held captive against her will in Oregon. The friend's mother immediately contacted federal authorities, prompting the successful raid in Huntington.
During a video call monitored by the FBI, the teenager showed investigators a knife kept near her bed and provided crucial evidence confirming her location. Oregon police and federal agents arrived at the property the same day, safely extracting the victim and transferring her for medical evaluation.
Captivity and Charges
According to federal prosecutors, Harmel initially established online contact with the victim in May 2025 under false pretenses before driving to Utah to pick her up. Upon entering his vehicle, he discarded her phone in a canyon river and brought her to his residence, restricting her internet access to Wi-Fi only.
Investigators stated that Harmel forced the teenager to share a basement bed, threatened her with a knife, and subjected her to repeated sexual abuse. He also allegedly forced her to remove her dental braces to conceal her identity. Harmel was apprehended during a vehicle stop in Ontario, Oregon, and faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.
