Family says 15-year-old left Long Island school to meet an online contact; police trace movements from Grand Central to Brooklyn.
NEW YORK — The mother of 15-year-old Thomas Medlin appealed on national television for her son’s safe return as police track the Long Island teen’s path from a Stony Brook campus to Grand Central Terminal and into city neighborhoods following an apparent plan to meet an online contact.
The case has drawn broader attention to the ways teens move between school, commuter rails and city transit while communicating with people met on gaming platforms. Medlin’s mother, Eva Yan, said her son’s disappearance is out of character and that the family is working closely with detectives in Suffolk County and New York City. Investigators have not said whether a crime occurred, but the multi-agency search reflects growing urgency as the timeline extends and nighttime temperatures fall.
Police say Medlin left the Stony Brook School at about 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 and headed directly to the nearby train station. By early evening he was recorded on camera at Grand Central; his phone later registered in Lower Manhattan near the East River. A separate clip placed him in Brooklyn afterward, according to investigators. On Monday, Yan told an anchor that Thomas is loved and not in trouble, adding, “Please just tell us you’re safe.” Her husband, James Medlin, said the family has been retracing steps with officers and checking transportation hubs along the likely route.
Detectives released a clothing description: glasses; a black jacket with red stripes; dark sweatpants with white stripes; and a black backpack. They listed his height as five-foot-four and weight at about 130 pounds. Officers have canvassed businesses for camera angles that might show who, if anyone, the teen met after leaving Grand Central. Roblox said it is assisting authorities and pointed to parental control options, while police examine whether communication occurred on-platform or through outside apps. Investigators have not identified any suspect, and they have not confirmed an in-person meeting took place.
Schools on Long Island have circulated notices about the absence, and volunteer groups have organized flyer drops at transit nodes in Midtown, the Lower East Side and parts of Brooklyn. Commuters reported seeing police distribute images to station agents and bus supervisors. In recent years, transit investigators have increasingly layered cell-site data with station camera time stamps to build minute-by-minute timelines; those techniques are now being used here, officials said. At the Stony Brook School, staff have coordinated with law enforcement to review campus video and gather any student tips that match the Jan. 9 window.
Procedurally, the case remains a missing-person investigation overseen by Suffolk County’s Fourth Squad, with New York City agencies handling leads within the five boroughs. Authorities can seek court orders for messaging and account data where probable cause exists. If police identify a suspect who lured a minor, prosecutors could pursue charges such as endangering the welfare of a child or luring under state law, depending on evidence and location. No hearing dates have been announced. Officials say they will release updates if new video, sightings or records clarify the teen’s movements.
On the ground, the family’s appeal has added urgency. Outside a corner grocery near a downtown subway entrance, a worker taped a fresh flyer to a window as snow flurries drifted across the sidewalk. “We’re keeping an eye out,” the clerk said. A classmate in Stony Brook left a note at a makeshift display near the school gate: “Thomas, we miss you.” Speaking through tears in her interview, Yan said: “He has never left our side before. We just want him home.”
By late Tuesday, authorities said the teen was still missing and that canvasses and video pulls would continue this week as additional transit footage and account records are reviewed.
Author note: Last updated January 28, 2026.