Caleb Jacoby found safe, police say

Caleb Jacoby, the 16-year-old Brookline student missing since Monday, was found safe on Thursday evening in Times Square, police said.

Jacoby, who disappeared at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, is a student at the Maimonides School in Brookline and has been the subject of a wide search aided by social media outreach. The teen is also the son of Boston Globe OpEd columnist Jeff Jacoby.

“Our prayers have been answered,” Jeff Jacoby tweeted Thursday night. “We are thrilled to hear from the Brookline Police that our beloved son Caleb has been found and is safe. Words can’t express our gratitude for the extraordinary outpouring of kindness and support that we have received from so many people.

“All we can think of at this moment is how wonderful it will be to see Caleb again and shower him with love.”

Brookline police had circulated fliers with Jacoby’s description and encouraged anyone with information to call their department.

The Maimonides School, a Jewish day school at which Jacoby was in 11th grade, distributed fliers and sent e-mail alerts regarding the missing teen. A coordinated effort by the school had about 200 volunteers searching for Jacoby in the Boston metro area.

“Baruch HaShem [Blessed is God]! The Brookline Police Department has confirmed that Caleb Jacoby has been found and is safe,” the school said on its Facebook page. “Thank you all for your prayers and efforts on his behalf.”

The Maimonides School worked alongside Combined Jewish Philanthropies and AJC Boston, along with other Jewish advocacy groups, in the search.

Brookline police said in a blog post that they received information that Jacoby may have been in the area of Times Square in New York. Coordinated efforts with other agencies led New York City police to locate him at about 9 p.m., Brookline police said.

Plans are progressing to bring Jacoby back home to Brookline.

News of Jacoby’s return was announced in a tweet from Brookline police at 8:54 p.m. Thursday. The statement was re-tweeted by hundreds, along with messages of goodwill and relief.