The family of a New York teenager is desperate for help locating their missing boy, Thomas Medlin, 15, who reportedly left the Stony Brook School on Long Island on January 9, 2026, and hasn’t been heard from since. The Suffolk County Police Department tracked Thomas in Manhattan just a few hours after he left school. The authorities believe the teenager may have set out to meet someone he met playing Roblox. It’s now been more than two weeks since Thomas’ disappearance, and as time continues to pass, the fear that he’s in danger increases by the minute.
The Suffolk County Police Department stated in a news release that Thomas left school about 3:30 p.m. January 9 and went to the Stony Brook train station. The department shared a photo of Thomas from Grand Central Station in Manhattan around 5:30 p.m. the day he disappeared. He wore a black jacket with red stripes, dark sweatpants with white stripes, and glasses, and he carried a black backpack.
Thomas’ mother, Eva Yan, told News 12 her son’s disappearance shocked her. “He has never left us,” she said through tears. Yan said thinking about her son being alone or lost in the cold breaks her heart. She just wants her son to be safe.
Thomas’ father, James Medlin, told the outlet, “I just can’t believe why he left in the first place.”
In a statement obtained by People, a Roblox representative shared the company’s concern. “We are deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation,” the statement reads. “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.”
The representative declined to give any further details on the investigation into Thomas’ disappearance.
As parents, we have such a love/hate relationship with technology. It certainly can make life easier, but it can also lead to heartache. We hope that nothing bad happened to Thomas and that he will be back in his parents’ loving arms soon.
Police ask anyone with information about Thomas to please contact Fourth Squad detectives at 631-854-8452 or call 911.
