Teens rescued after leaving home with man they met on Roblox
By Rachael Perry
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STUART, Florida (WPBF) — Two young girls from Indiantown were abducted by a man they met through the online game Roblox, according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, who warned parents about the dangers of online communication.
The sheriff explained that the girls were moved from Roblox to Snapchat by the suspect, Hser Mu Lah Say, who began sending gifts like food to their home, which Budensiek described as indicative of a grooming process.
The situation escalated when Say left Omaha, Nebraska, and drove 22-23 hours straight to Indiantown, arriving on January 31 at 10 a.m.
A 911 call from the family of the 12 and 15-year-old sisters reported them missing, leading the sheriff to believe they were dealing with a type of abduction. “I know these girls went willingly, but their age suggested that they had been taken and were probably being removed from our area,” Budensiek said.
The sheriff’s office went into full crisis mode, and several hours later, officials in Georgia spotted the suspect’s vehicle on I-75, finding the girls safely inside. Budensiek emphasized the seriousness of the situation, saying, “These are young, impressionable girls who might have thought this would just be something fun to do. But again, we’re dealing with a grown man that drove all the way from another state, an individual they never met in person, pick them up, and we really don’t know what he was going to do.”
Say was arrested on kidnapping charges, and Sheriff Budensiek issued a warning to parents: “If you can communicate with somebody away from your house, and the quiet of your own room, it could be a problem. So parents have to be vigilant.”
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