Dinhngo Nguyen is a Vietnamese 16-year-old boy who was reported missing on July 24, 2013. His family believes he has run away and they remain deeply concerned for his safety. His aunt, Trang Nguyen, spoke with News Talk Florida giving insight to Dinhngo’s motive.
If anyone has any information on his whereabouts, please call 727-893-7780.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.- A straight-A student at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Dinhngo is passionate about composing and performing, taking inspiration from the Beatles.
He seemed to have a knack for learning new things, especially when it came to playing the piano. His family moved from Vietnam six years ago not knowing any English and he picked it up immediately. School and music always seemed to be easy for him, according to his aunt, Trang Nguyen .
Watch a video of Nguyen’s piano recital from 2011 here.
“Every single time he got up on stage to perform, the whole school would get up and cheer for him.”
The Nguyen family started to see a change when Dinghngo got to Middle School. “There was a point when he would come home from school unhappy almost every day. He became angry, and paranoid,” said his aunt.
That’s when they learned he was being bullied.
“He became a different person. I know for sure it changed his life forever. We had to put him on medication. I don’t know if that’s why he left home. Nothing in his mind was logical anymore. He was happy before, he had good friends. What happened is unfortunate – but it happened. We try and help him, but he can not overcome that. It’s just very sad.”
Dinhngo stopped playing music. He stopped singing at home and didn’t touch the piano.
Two weeks ago he went to summer school, and his family started noticing a positive difference. He was excited about learning and eager to get back to school again. His therapist told the family he was making growth in his progress. He even started playing the piano again.
But, a few days later Dinhngo’s dad woke up to find him missing.
He is currently without his medication, money, or any mode of transportation.
According to his aunt, Dinhngo’s father,desperate to find him, drove to Tallahassee looking for his missing son. One man at the greyhound bus station said they believed they had seen the 16-year-old a few days earlier, on Thursday, July 25th. They informed Mr. Nguyen that someone came up and paid for his ticket, but he looked OK.
The ticket was to Baltimore, Maryland.
The police are currently reviewing surveillance tapes.
Another lead appeared Thursday night when police found a man on the side of state route 54 whom they believed to be Dinhngo. After questioning, the suspect claimed to be eighteen years old and travelling to California. They dropped him off at a nearby shelter where he reportedly stayed for an hour then left.
These leads both took place Thursday evening. Police are still investigating both reports.
Dinhngo’s aunt wanted to leave him this message,“We love him and miss him very much, and if he reads this, please come home. Call and we will pick you up and bring you home. We just want you home safe and sound.”
If anyone has any information on his whereabouts, please call 727-893-7780 or Civilian Investigator Deanna Mobley at 727-892-5073.
