Teen who was missing for 27 years is found after being held captive in neighbor's cellar all along

A teenager who went missing 27 years earlier was miraculously found alive just 200 yards from his home.

Omar B. Omran was just 19 years old when he vanished from his home in Djelfa, Algeria, according to CBS News.

Omran's family believed their loved one had been kidnapped or killed during the Algerian Civil War that raged for 10 years in the 1990s and early 2000s.

That was until May 12, 2024, when Omran - now aged 45 - was discovered in his neighbor's hay-covered cellar, which is about 200 yards away from the home where he was last seen.

Harrowing footage went viral of Omran being rescued and emerging blinking into the daylight from the cellar where he'd been kept for almost three decades.

Videos posted on social media and broadcast on Algerian television networks captured the moment that the victim, now with a full beard and wearing a grubby sweater, was seen being rescued from what appears to be a hole in the ground.

The blurry video shows torchlights shining into a pit surrounded by hay as Omar, with a desperate look on his face, lifts his head in shock at the search party surrounding him.

It is believed that the victim never called for help about his abduction because he was reportedly convinced that his captor had put him under some kind of spell.

Algerian outlets shared that the alleged culprit, a 61-year-old doorman in the nearby town of El Guedid, was apprehended after trying to flee.

According to The Sun, public prosecutors in Djelfa said in a statement: "The Djelfa Attorney General’s Office informs the public that on May 12 at 8PM local time, it found victim Omar B, aged 45, in the case of his neighbor, B.A., aged 61."

Omran's alleged kidnapper has also been accused of murdering Omran's dog with poison.

The alleged captor was detained after trying to flee. Credit: WIN-Initiative/Neleman / Getty

Unconfirmed local reports alleged Omar's family was told about his whereabouts after the brother of his alleged kidnapper disclosed details of the abduction in a social media post while the siblings were fighting over inheritance.

The court official said: "Following this report, the General Prosecutor of the Court of Idrisiya in the province of Djelfa ordered the National Gendarmerie to open an in-depth investigation and officers went to the house in question," as cited by the outlet.

"The Public Prosecutor's Office ordered that the victim receive medical and psychological treatment, and the suspect will be presented to the Public Prosecutor's Office immediately after the completion of the investigation," he said, adding that the "perpetrator of this heinous crime" would be tried with "severity".

Furthermore, Algerian media revealed that Omran's mom sadly passed away in 2013 without ever knowing what happened to her son. It has been reported that her son was made aware of her death whilst in captivity.

While other family members believed Omran died 27 years ago, his late mother felt in her heart that he was still alive.

Her last wish was: “Please, do not stop searching for Omar. I am sure he is still alive,” per the publication.

Featured image credit: handout