The family of a 15-year-old boy from Long Island is deeply concerned after their son vanished two weeks ago. He had traveled to New York City to meet an individual he encountered through the online platform Roblox.
According to the Suffolk County Police Department, Thomas Medlin departed from the Stony Brook School at approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 9. He hurried to the Stony Brook Train Station and boarded a train bound for Grand Central Station in New York City. These details were shared in a news release dated January 12.
Authorities have distributed a surveillance image capturing Thomas at Grand Central Station. Investigators say this location marks the last sighting of him around 5:30 p.m. on the day he disappeared.
In an interview with News 12 Long Island, Thomas’ mother, Eva Yan, expressed that detectives suspect her son was meeting someone he had connected with through Roblox, the online gaming platform.
The surveillance photograph shows Thomas Medlin walking through Grand Central Station at about 5:30 p.m. on January 9, as confirmed by the Suffolk County Police Department.
Yan remarked that this behavior is uncharacteristic of Thomas, indicating how unusual the situation is for their family.
“He has never left our side,” Yan told the outlet through tears.
“I just can’t believe why he left in the first place,” James Medlin, Thomas’ father, told the outlet.
Thomas Medlin’s parents say this behavior was uncharacteristic of the 15-year-old. (Suffolk County Police Department)
A Roblox spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an email statement on Sunday that it is “built with safety at its core” and offers parental controls that allow parents to completely disable the in-game chat function.
“We are deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation,” the spokesperson said. “Roblox is built with safety at its core, including robust policies to help protect users that go beyond many other platforms. We have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information and don’t allow 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. Given this involves an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time.”
Thomas Medlin traveled from Long Island to New York City by train on Jan. 9, and was last seen at Grand Central Station. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images, File)
Yan said that family and friends have formed search parties in both Long Island and New York City in search of her missing son.
“Everyone loves him,” she told the outlet.
Authorities asked anyone with information on the whereabouts of Thomas to call the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Squad Detectives at 631-854-8452.
