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Missing Michigan Teen "Found Safe" in Miami After Twitch Stream Spotting

A teen's random appearance on a Twitch stream in Miami Beach brought hope to his Michigan family, who've been searching for him since May.
Image: 17-year-old Troy Coleman, shirtless, wearing bright green shorts
Troy Coleman's brother recognized him from this Twitch stream on July 2, 2024, at the Starlite Cafe in Miami Beach. Screenshot via Twitch

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A 17-year-old who went missing from Michigan has been located in Miami after he appeared in a popular Twitch stream in South Beach.

Troy Coleman was reported missing on May 21 in Flint and had not been spotted since until he randomly appeared in social media influencer FaZe Lacy's Twitch stream on July 2. According to police, he was last seen leaving his house on May 17 and might have boarded a bus.

As Lacy and his friend Clix streamed while they sat at a table at Starlite Cafe on Ocean Drive, a tanned teen in bright green shorts started talking with him. The streamers were caught off guard by the teen's seemingly confused behavior. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the teen was 17-year-old Coleman from Michigan.

The day after the stream, Lacy posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Coleman's brother spotted the teen in Lacy's video. In his note, Trent Coleman said his brother was the kid in the green shorts and has been missing for three months. He told Lacy that Troy suffers from schizophrenia.

"Three months ago, a 17-year-old kid went missing and was put on homicide," Lacy's post reads. "Yesterday on stream he came up to me and Clix and now his family knows he is alive and in Miami. I wasn’t sure if I should make this public but I'm hoping somehow this helps him be found for his family."

On Thursday, July 4, the Flint Township Police Department confirmed on Facebook that Coleman "has been found safe in Miami" and the department is working with local authorities to arrange his return to Michigan to be reunited with his family.

"The Flint Township Police Department would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everybody who shared the missing person information about Troy Coleman," the post reads.