BREAKING: Chilling CCTV From Nearby Home Captures Boy Matching Missing Thomas Medlin Walking With Mystery Man Near Grand Central – Just Hours After Teen Vanished Into NYC Chaos
In a stunning and terrifying new development that has sent shockwaves through the search for 15-year-old Thomas Medlin, grainy CCTV footage recovered from a private residence near Grand Central Terminal appears to show a boy bearing a striking resemblance to the missing Long Island teen walking alongside an unidentified adult male on the evening of January 9, 2026—the very day Thomas disappeared after reportedly heading to New York City to meet someone he connected with on the gaming platform Roblox.The footage, obtained by investigators and now fueling intense speculation, captures the pair moving briskly along a sidewalk blocks from the iconic terminal around dusk. The boy—slim build, glasses, dark clothing similar to the black jacket with red stripes and backpack Thomas was last seen wearing in official police surveillance—walks close to a taller man in his 30s or 40s, dressed casually but indistinctly. The two appear engaged in conversation, with the boy glancing around as they head away from the bustling station crowds toward quieter streets. No force is visible, but the image of a vulnerable teenager in the company of a stranger has ignited fresh fears of grooming, abduction, or worse.
This bombshell sighting comes nearly three weeks into the agonizing search, as Thomas remains missing with no contact, no ransom demands, and growing dread among family, friends, and authorities. Suffolk County Police have not officially confirmed the boy in the private CCTV is definitively Thomas, but sources close to the investigation describe the match as “eerily similar” in appearance, clothing, and timing—aligning perfectly with his arrival at Grand Central around 5:30 p.m. after rushing from Stony Brook School on Long Island. Police had previously released haunting station footage of Thomas alone, walking through the terminal with his backpack and a large object in hand, but this new clip marks the first potential post-Grand Central lead placing him with another person.
The discovery has electrified the case. Eva Yan, Thomas’s devastated mother, who has repeatedly pleaded through tear-filled interviews for her son’s safe return, is said to be “shaken to her core” by the footage. “If that’s my baby with someone he doesn’t know… we need everyone to look closer,” she reportedly told confidants, her voice breaking. Family members and volunteers, who have pounded the pavement in freezing temperatures organizing daily searches across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island parks, now face a chilling new question: Who is this man, and what happened in the moments after Thomas stepped off that train?
Detectives believe Thomas arranged the trip to meet an online acquaintance from Roblox, the massively popular game where millions of kids interact daily. The platform’s internal review found no red flags in chats—no sharing of personal contact info, no off-platform redirection—but critics argue such grooming often starts innocently within game boundaries before escalating. Roblox has reiterated its safety features and cooperation with law enforcement, but this case has reignited nationwide outrage over child safety on gaming sites.
The new CCTV clip adds urgency as a brutal winter storm continues to batter the Northeast, blanketing streets in snow and dropping temperatures to life-threatening lows. Search teams fear Thomas—described as kind-hearted, musically gifted, and utterly out of character for running off—could be homeless, disoriented, or in danger amid the elements. Earlier pings and tips had placed him briefly near Cherry and Rutgers Streets in Lower Manhattan, then around Sands and Jay in Brooklyn, but those leads went cold. Now, this residential footage—captured by a homeowner’s security camera overlooking a side street—offers the first visual thread connecting Thomas to someone else after his solo Grand Central appearance.
Authorities are urgently appealing to the public: Anyone who recognizes the man in the footage, or who saw a teen matching Thomas’s description (5’4″, 130 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes, glasses) in the company of an adult male near Grand Central on January 9, must come forward immediately. Tips can be called into Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad Detectives at 631-854-8452 or 911. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is also assisting, amplifying flyers and alerts nationwide.
The image of the boy and the man walking together has gone viral on social media, shared by concerned citizens and amplified by influencers highlighting online dangers to kids. Comments flood in: “This is every parent’s nightmare,” “That could be my son,” “Find that man NOW.” Some speculate the “friend” from Roblox was an adult predator using the game as bait; others hope it’s innocuous and Thomas is simply hiding or lost. But with no word from the teen in nearly three weeks, optimism is fading fast.
Thomas’s father, James Medlin, has spoken of the unbearable pain: “He shines in everything he does—music, sports, school. This isn’t him.” Neighbors in quiet St. James recall a polite, smiling boy who waved to everyone. Now, that boy may be somewhere in the vast, unforgiving city, possibly with the very person who lured him away.
As the search enters its most critical phase, this CCTV breakthrough has transformed a heartbreaking disappearance into a full-scale manhunt. The clock ticks relentlessly. A mother waits by the phone. A community prays. And one chilling question dominates every headline: Who is the man walking with Thomas Medlin—and where did they go next?
If you have any information, no matter how small, contact authorities without delay. A teenager’s life could hang in the balance.
