Troy freshman at Bowling Green State University reported missing

A freshman at Bowling Green State University from Troy is missing and did not return to class after the Thanksgiving holiday, according to his parents and university police.

Jacob Bromm, 18, hasn't been in contact with family or friends since Nov. 20, when charges to his debit card halted and he stopped answering calls on his cell phone, his father, Cliff Bromm, told The Detroit News on Sunday.

The Ohio university's police in a post on Facebook and Twitter on Sunday said it was investigating Bromm's disappearance. Friends said Jacob indicated that he was leaving his dormitory to take an Uber to the airport to fly west. It was unclear if Jacob hailed a ride or bought a plane ticket.

His father said he and his wife knew of no such plans. The teen told his parents that he wasn't coming home for Thanksgiving, Cliff Bromm said. They last spoke on Nov. 15.

"Why would he take off?" Cliff Bromm said. "He had $2 in his bank account. It doesn't make sense."

Jacob Bromm has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and approximately 160 pounds. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call  university police at (419) 372-2346.

The GBSU police said in the social media posts that it has "reviewed all relevant, available security footage and that there is no evidence right now that Bromm's absence is not voluntary or that he is in distress."

Cliff Bromm said he visited T-Mobile in hopes of locating Jacob with his phone. The effort was unsuccessful, he said; it appeared the SIM card or battery had been removed.

Cliff Bromm said he and his wife called their son on Nov. 20 and again on Nov. 25, but they did not receive an answer. The school told them Bromm had not returned to his classes Nov. 26 after the school closed for the holiday Nov. 21. Bowling Green police directed them to the university's staff.

Jacob's parents described him as outgoing and charming, though at times he could be shy. They said they visited him every few weeks and often texted with him.

Cliff Bromm said because Jacob is an adult, he is unable to see his son's grades to gauge how he is doing at school.

"I don't know if he was doing bad or good," he said. "He said everything was easy, that it was a review of high school. They say 25 percent of kids develop some type of mental issue when they got to college. It's on a poster in the university office. You could speculate on everything."

Bromm lives on the business floor in Kohl Hall; his major is undecided. When he moved in, he told his parents he wanted a different room with air conditioning.

"But he got on the floor and met everyone," his father said. "And he said he liked everyone."

His father said he and his wife want to know where their son is.

"It's like a dream or some crazy movie or something," he said. "You call and your kid's gone. In everything you see on TV, they track them down. It's like nothing can be tracked or you need a subpoena to check a train ticket or plane ticket."

bnoble@detroitnews.com