Giovanni Pelletier, an 18-year-old from North Carolina, has been found safe after going missing during a trip to Florida. He was last seen on August 1 after sending a haunting text to his mother pleading for help.
Pelletier was visiting Englewood, Florida, with his mother and her fiancé. He planned to meet three cousins for the first time, as his father is incarcerated. Around 1:30 a.m., the cousins picked him up for a drive to their home in Mims, Florida. Just 25 minutes later, he texted his mother, grandfather, and another aunt saying 'Help me.'
His mother reported him missing after seeing the texts. The cousins claimed Pelletier began to panic and pull out a knife while they were smoking marijuana, but his aunt Desiree Pelletier said this is out of character. The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said the cousins reported he exited the vehicle on I-75 near State Road 70.
A truck driver later found Pelletier's backpack and phone, leading the family to believe he was abandoned on the roadside. The sheriff's office received many tips that turned out to be inaccurate. The family offered a $25,000 reward for information.
Authorities have now confirmed that Pelletier has been located and is safe. Further details about his whereabouts have not been released.
