The grieving family of a missing Melbourne teenager are shocked to learn he has been spotted at a Sydney emergency shelter, where they say he has no connection to the city and has never been there before.
Krishank Karthik’s mother Shobana said her life had been “hell” since her son disappeared four days ago and she urgently needed to hear from him to ensure he was safe.
She said she was shocked to learn he had sold his iPhone, worth more than $1,000, in Melbourne before moving across state. She was unaware of any potential trouble the 16-year-old might be fleeing.
“I wish we had answers to explain all this. We’re so worried about him,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
“We have no idea why he would be in Sydney. He doesn’t know anyone there and he’s never been there before.”
Karthik disappeared after leaving his home in Truganina, in Melbourne’s west, at around 7.30am on Monday, carrying spare clothes, a rucksack and a suitcase.
His family thought the 11th grader, Suzanne Cory, was on his way to school, but he never arrived.
They have since discovered that Krishank has not been attending classes for the past two weeks and has instead been logging into the school’s parent portal to report himself absent every day.
A teenager who has been missing for four days has reportedly gone to an emergency shelter in the state. Krishank ‘Krish’ Karthik, 16, was last seen leaving his Truganina home in Melbourne’s west on Monday with spare clothes, a backpack and a suitcase at around 7.30am.
Krishank was last seen on Monday leaving his home in Truganina in Melbourne’s west with a change of clothes, a backpack and a suitcase at around 7.30am. Photo: Facebook
Police now believe the teenager is in NSW after receiving information that the missing teenager turned up at an emergency shelter in Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, just before 5am on August 6.
The charges come after he was spotted on a train from Tarneit station to central Melbourne on Monday morning, where he bought two doughnuts and withdrew cash from a 7-Eleven at around 10.50am.
About an hour later he travelled to North Melbourne, where he bought food.
At 1pm, the owner of a phone shop on Swanston St. recognised Krishank after seeing a social media advert asking for his whereabouts.
The owner claimed that the missing student had sold his iPhone 14 Pro that afternoon.
The night before he disappeared, Krishnak texted his mother asking when she would be home from the hospital, where she was visiting her ailing mother.
When she got home, she felt too tired to eat, but Krishnak convinced her to eat. They watched cricket together and were ‘laughing and talking’.
Krishnak wanted to stay up late, but his mother told him to go to bed because he had an exam the next day.
Then he said to her, “Good night, Mom. Love you, Mom.”
Distraught mother Shobana Karthik (pictured) said Krish’s last words to her the night before he disappeared were: ‘Good night mom. Love you, mom’
That was the last time she saw him.
“He didn’t wake me up in the morning because he knew I was tired,” Ms Karthik said.
Police are concerned for Krishank’s welfare as his behaviour is ‘out of character’.
He has an Indian appearance, is about 170 cm tall, has an average build and black hair.
He was last seen wearing a red T-shirt with the Suzanne Corry logo, black sweatpants, a sports uniform, black shoes and a gray hoodie.
If you have any information, please contact Crime Stoppers.