Roblox Grooming & 1,500-Mile Pursuit: Two Florida Sisters Found Safe After Suspect’s Cross-Country Drive
A harrowing case involving online grooming and a cross-country pursuit culminated in the safe recovery of two young sisters in Georgia, authorities announced Monday. The incident began with interactions on the gaming platform Roblox and escalated into a suspected kidnapping, prompting a multi-agency search spanning several states.
Online Interactions Preceded Abduction
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the ordeal began in the summer of 2025, when a 19-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, identified as Hser Mu Lah Say, initiated contact with the two girls, ages 12 and 15, on Roblox. The communication subsequently moved to Snapchat, where investigators discovered “romantic conversation,” though no sexually explicit content had been identified as of Monday.
“We’re dealing with a type of abduction,” Sheriff John Budensiek stated. “I know these girls went willingly, but their age suggested that they had been taken.”
Investigators believe Say groomed the victims over several months, even going so far as to send food deliveries to their Indiantown, Florida home. This sustained contact ultimately led to a plan for the girls to meet him in person.
Failed Meeting & Swift Response
According to authorities, the girls were initially scheduled to meet Say at Big Mound Park in Indiantown on Saturday morning. However, a family member intercepted them and, as a form of discipline for an unrelated matter, confiscated their cell phones. The girls were reported missing around 5 p.m. that same day, January 31st.
A search of the sisters’ electronic devices – phones, a laptop, and an iPad – revealed a disturbing pattern. Despite the deletion of the Snapchat app, detectives were able to restore the software and uncover a continuous exchange detailing Say’s plan to pick up the girls and transport them out of state.
Multi-Agency Pursuit & Arrest
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office immediately launched a large-scale search, collaborating with the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Utilizing investigative technology, authorities determined Say had departed Omaha on Friday and driven approximately 23 hours to reach Indiantown the following morning. They tracked his likely route back to Nebraska, alerting agencies along the Interstate 75 corridor.
A crucial break in the case came when Say took a photograph of himself inside a Circle-K store in Indiantown. “That allowed us to start working, backtracking his movements. It allowed us to identify a car,” Budensiek explained.
The Georgia State Patrol located Say’s dark Honda CRV early Sunday morning and initiated a traffic stop. Both girls were found safe inside the vehicle.
Preventing a Potential Disaster
Sheriff’s officials credited the rapid recovery to the seamless coordination between local and federal agencies, as well as the critical digital evidence recovered from the girls’ home.
“I think we prevented something disastrous,” Budensiek said. “Had we not found those girls in a timely manner, had everybody here not kicked into gear and found those girls, these girls would be at least in Omaha, Nebraska, missing.”
Hser Mu Lah Say was arrested and charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interference with child custody. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to analyze the recovered digital evidence to fully understand the extent of Say’s intentions and potential plans.
