What to Know
- TJ Allen left his house early Monday afternoon to go dirt biking and never came home
- He texted at least one friend that he had crashed his bike and injured his leg, but didn't respond to subsequent messages
- State police launched an exhaustive search but suspended their efforts Wednesday; environmental authorities continue to look
The mother of an 18-year-old Connecticut dirt biker missing for four days says she can't even eat knowing her "little boy" is out there somewhere.
"He might be hungry, he might be cold," Christina Moses, mother of Todd Jeremiah Allen, better known as TJ, told NBC Connecticut.
Authorities have been looking for the young man since Monday; he left the house in the early afternoon to go dirt biking with his Honda XR100 and never came home. The family said TJ knows to come home before dark when he takes out his dirt bike and the teen always calls home.
Moses said the family "just knew" something was wrong when her son didn't show up.
TJ texted one of his friends around 1:30 p.m. that day saying he had hurt his leg but didn't respond to subsequent messages, police and relatives have said. Another friend told the family that TJ had texted the same message at 3 p.m.
According to state police, TJ’s cellphone last pinged in the area of Ross Pond in Killingly, but that area was searched extensively and nothing was found. His phone is now off or has a dead battery, authorities say.
Connecticut State Police launched an exhaustive search Monday night and scoured the air and the ground for days before suspending the search Wednesday. DEEP Environmental Conservation Police continues to engage in limited search activities on its lands as they patrol in areas of eastern Connecticut, the agency said.
Volunteers led the charge Thursday, propelled by concern over increasingly inclement weather and frigid conditions.
Local
TJ is described as being 5'10" and about 130 pounds with shoulder-length light brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a camouflage t-shirt, blue jeans and brown work boots with a black helmet.
Anyone with information is asked to call state police.
