Oregon man allegedly held Utah teen Kylie Arellano captive, forced her to remove braces with pliers

Federal authorities have charged Oregon man Adam Hunter Harmel in connection with the alleged captivity of Utah teenager Kylie Arellano, who was found alive in Oregon after disappearing in May 2025. Court documents allege he abused and sexually assaulted her, confined her in his home and forced her to remove her braces with pliers to make her harder to identify.

Arellano was 15 when she vanished from Garden City, Utah; she is now 17. Investigators allege Harmel met her online, drove to Utah to collect her, discarded her phone and took her to his home in Huntington, Oregon, where he restricted her access to the internet. She was rescued on 1 November 2026 after telling another young player she was being held against her will; a tip from that player’s parent helped prompt the rescue.