A 15-year-old boy has not been seen for almost two weeks after traveling from his Long Island home to Manhattan. His mother believes he made the trip to meet someone he met online on Roblox.
Thomas Medlin was last seen on Friday, January 9, after heading into Manhattan following the school day, according to a news release from the Suffolk County Police Department.
Police say Thomas left his school at around 3:30 p.m. local time and went to the train station, where he hopped on a train bound for Manhattan.
He was last spotted later that evening at about 5:30 p.m. at Grand Central Station.
A photo released by authorities shows the teen walking along a train platform with a black backpack and carrying a large item.
Medlin is described as standing about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing roughly 130 pounds. At the time he disappeared, he was wearing a black jacket with red stripes down the sleeves, dark sweatpants, and glasses.
Investigators were able to track his movements to the area near Rutgers and Cherry Streets in Lower Manhattan; he was later believed to be near Jay and Sands Streets in Brooklyn.
His family has not been in contact with him since Friday.
In a recent interview, his mother, Eva Yan, told media outlets she believes Thomas traveled to Manhattan to meet someone he met online while playing Roblox.
She added that this behavior is out of character for her son and that he has never left them before.
A spokesperson for Roblox said the company is “deeply troubled by the situation” and is cooperating with law enforcement to assist with the investigation. They added that they cannot share further details due to the ongoing nature of the case.
Suffolk County Police said they had no new updates as of Saturday, January 24.
Since he went missing, family members and friends have been out every day organizing search efforts across Manhattan and Long Island.
They have also been visiting homeless shelters and say they are especially worried for his safety as extreme weather was expected to hit New York.
Suffolk County Police are urging anyone who may have information about the teen’s location to call 911 or contact Fourth Squad detectives at 631-854-8452.
