Missing Teen May Have Traveled to NYC to Meet Someone From Roblox
A 15-year-old boy from Long Island has been missing for two weeks, and his mother thinks he went into Manhattan to meet someone he connected with on Roblox.
Thomas Medlin of St. James left Stony Brook School around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, January 9, and ran to the Stony Brook Long Island Rail Road station, where he caught a train into Manhattan, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
He was last seen at Grand Central Station around 5:30 p.m. that same day. A photo from police shows the teen wearing a backpack and holding a large object while walking on what looks like a subway platform.
Police later traced Thomas' location to Cherry and Rutgers Streets in Lower Manhattan, and then Sands and Jay Street in Brooklyn, according to News 12. The family hasn't heard from him since he left that Friday afternoon.
His Mom Says This Isn't Like Him
Two weeks after Thomas went missing, his mother Eva Yan told News 12 she believes he was heading into the city to meet someone he met through Roblox.
"He has never left us," she said through tears.
"I just can't believe why he left in the first place," the teen's father, James Medlin, said.
A Roblox spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement, "We are deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation." The company pointed to safety features including filters designed to block sharing of personal information and restrictions on user-to-user image or video sharing.
"While no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day," the spokesperson said. "Given this involves an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time."
The Search Continues
A teenage boy vanishing for two weeks to meet someone from an online game is every parent's nightmare. With a winter storm bearing down on New York, his family's racing against time and weather to find him.
Yan said Thomas' family has been searching for him every day with organized search parties in both Long Island and Manhattan. They've been checking homeless shelters and are particularly worried with extreme weather about to hit New York.
"Everyone loves him," Yan said of her son. "We just want him to be safe."
Thomas is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with red stripes, dark sweatpants with white stripes, a black backpack, and glasses.
The Suffolk County Police Department is asking anyone with information about Thomas' whereabouts to contact Fourth Squad Detectives at 631-854-8452 or call 911.