“PLEASE BRING MY SON BACK” — Thomas Medlin’s mother breaks down after receiving a two-word text from her son 30 minutes ago.
Police confirm the message pinged a GPS location narrowed to a 500-meter radius on Long Island.
Investigators say that signal may be the most urgent lead yet in the case.

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Mom begs missing son to come home following NYC disappearance — after apparently meeting Roblox connection

The distraught mother of a missing 15-year-old boy police believe traveled to New York City more than two weeks ago to meet someone he connected with on Roblox is begging her son to come home — promising that he’s “not in trouble.”

Thomas Medlin hopped on a Big Apple-bound train after leaving Long Island on Jan. 9, seemingly to link up with a person he met on the popular online game.

The Saint James native left the Stony Brook School — a ritzy college prep school that costs more than $70,000 per year for kids who live on the campus — and was caught on surveillance camera arriving at Grand Central Terminal hours after he boarded a Long Island Rail Road train.

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Thomas Medlin was caught on camera at Grand Central Terminal on Jan. 9 after leaving his school on Long Island.Suffolk County Police Department
Medlin’s mother, Eva Yan, is now pleading for her son — or whoever he may be staying with — to let her know he’s OK.

“We love him so much. We want him to even send us a message.Whoever person he’s staying with, have a kind heart and let us parents know … he’s safe, nobody’s going to harm him,” she said on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning.

“Whenever he’s ready to come home, let us know where to pick him up. And he’s not in trouble at all. We love him more than anything in [our lives],” she added.

Investigators believe the teen met someone online and arranged to connect with them in city — something the heartbroken mom said is out of character for her teen son.

Police recently told the family the boy’s phone was located in Lower Manhattan and he was recently spotted on surveillance video in Brooklyn, according to Yan.

Roblox told The Post over that weekend that it is cooperating fully with the investigation.

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Medlin’s mother, Eva Yan, promised her son that he’s not in trouble in a TV interview Tuesday morning.FOX & Friends

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Thomas Medlin, 15, is believed to have traveled to New York City to meet someone he met playing Roblox.Family Handout
“We are deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Yan believes Medlin was able to bypass parental features she had put in place by secretly creating new Roblox accounts she did not know about with a separate email address, she told Fox.

Sources said an internal probe didn’t reveal any suspicious activity in his disappearance.

Medlin was described by police as 5-foot, four-inches tall and weighing 130 pounds.

He was last seen wearing a black jacket with red stripes, dark sweatpants with white stripes, a black backpack and glasses.

Part 2:

The disappearance of 15-year-old Thomas Medlin from Saint James, Long Island, continues to unfold with mounting heartbreak and uncertainty. As of late January 2026, no credible reports confirm that his mother has broken her silence with a new revelation involving a two-word text message received from her son approximately 30 minutes ago, nor any associated GPS location pinpointed by police.

Thomas Medlin vanished on January 9, 2026, after leaving the Stony Brook School around 3:30 p.m. He took a train to Manhattan, arriving at Grand Central Terminal by about 5:30 p.m., as shown in surveillance footage. The Suffolk County Police Department’s most recent major update, released around January 28, 2026, pinpointed his last known location on the pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge at approximately 7:06 p.m. His cellphone showed its final activity at 7:09 p.m., followed by a surveillance camera capturing a splash in the East River at 7:10 p.m. Authorities noted that no footage shows him exiting the bridge via any pedestrian paths, and they have stated there is currently no indication of criminal activity. Extensive video review and digital forensics, including checks on social media and gaming platforms like Roblox, found no evidence linking to foul play or third-party involvement in his departure.

His mother, Eva Yan, has spoken publicly multiple times since the disappearance, expressing profound distress and pleading for her son’s return. In interviews with outlets like Fox & Friends, News 12 Long Island, and others, she emphasized that Thomas “has never left us” and described his actions as completely out of character. She repeatedly urged him—or anyone with him—to contact the family, assuring that he is “not in trouble” and that “we love him so much.” She begged for any sign he is safe, saying things like: “We just want him to even send us a message,” “Whoever this person he’s staying with, have a kind heart and let us parents know … he’s safe, nobody’s going to harm him,” and “Whenever he’s ready to come home, let us know, and we’ll pick him up.” These emotional appeals align with a mother’s desperate hope amid fears he may have gone to meet someone met online via Roblox (though police and Roblox have downplayed any direct platform role in the case).

The specific claim of a recent two-word text message from Thomas—received “30 minutes ago” relative to a breaking update—along with police using GPS to locate it, does not appear in any verified news sources, police statements, or public social media discussions as of January 29, 2026. Searches across major outlets (including Fox News, New York Post, FOX 5 NY, People, CBS New York, NBC New York, and others) show no such development. The latest coverage focuses on the bridge timeline, the splash, and ongoing searches, with police continuing to urge tips from the public. Family and friends have conducted searches in Long Island and New York City areas, but no confirmed sightings or contacts have surfaced since January 9.

This reported “breaking” detail may stem from misinformation, speculation in online forums, unverified social media posts, or a misinterpretation of prior pleas where Yan expressed longing for any message from her son. In high-profile missing persons cases, rumors of sudden breakthroughs—like mystery texts or pings—often circulate rapidly but require official confirmation to hold weight. Suffolk County Police have maintained communication with the family and stressed preserving investigative integrity, without releasing further footage or endorsing unconfirmed claims.

The emotional weight on Eva Yan and the family is evident in every public statement. Her words reflect a parent’s raw pain: a child gone in an instant, a digital world that may have pulled him away, and the agonizing wait for any sign of life. “Please bring my son back” captures the essence of her repeated calls—direct, pleading, unconditional love amid fear.

As the case enters its third week, Thomas remains missing. He is described as white, about 5’4″, 130 pounds, last seen wearing a black jacket with red stripes, dark sweatpants with white stripes, a black backpack, and glasses. Anyone with information is urged to contact Suffolk County Police or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

The hope persists for a positive resolution—whether Thomas is safe somewhere, ready to reach out, or that new evidence brings answers. Until then, the story serves as a sobering reminder of the risks teens face when bridging online connections into the real world, and the unbreakable bond of a family refusing to give up.