A teen mysteriously disappeared while traveling with his cousins in Florida, just moments after he texted his mother, ‘Mom help.’
Last Friday, Giovanni Pelletier, 18, went missing in the predawn hours while traveling with his cousins on an interstate in Englewood, a city located approximately 45 minutes south of Sarasota, as reported by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
During the car journey with his paternal cousins, he unexpectedly started behaving strangely, exited the vehicle, and walked away near SR70, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Charlotte County and Brevard County Sheriff’s Offices have initiated a search to find the missing teenager, but his family has not had any contact from him since his disappearance.
Giovanni’s phone and backpack were abandoned on the side of the highway, leaving his family with countless questions.
His mom, Bridgette, 34, told People that she saw the chilling text messages when she woke up at around 6:20 am on Friday.
Giovanni texted his mother twice, pleading for help, and tried to FaceTime and call her before 2 am.
The teen had also texted his aunt and father, asking for help when his mom didn’t reply.
Giovanni Pelletier, 18, disappeared last Friday in Florida after texting his mother, ‘Mom help’ in the middle of the night
Giovanni’s mom, Bridgette (pictured), said that she didn’t see the frantic texts and calls until the next morning
Bridgette told the publication that she also received a missed call from one of Giovanni’s cousins, who was in the car with him when he vanished.
‘He only called me that one time,’ she said.
‘And then no effort was made to communicate with me. No effort was made to come back to the house to let me know.’
Bridgette told People that Giovanni is from North Carolina, but was visiting his dad’s side of the family in Florida.
His parents were never married, but he was born in Florida and lived there until he was four years old.
Upon turning 18, Giovanni expressed a desire to learn more about his paternal heritage. ‘He was eager to explore the cultural roots and background from his father’s side of the family, something I couldn’t provide,’ explained Bridgette.
Bridgette added that there has been little communication with Giovanni’s relatives and that they haven’t helped them look for her son.
Following his disappearance, his paternal grandfather left a message indicating there was a disagreement by the roadside among the cousins, and requested to be informed when Giovanni was found.
Giovanni was staying with his cousins on his dad’s side in Florida, who his family says he didn’t know when he disappeared
Police said that Giovanni was acting ‘erratically’ the night he disappeared and exited the vehicle he was in with his cousins
Bridgette said that one of Giovanni’s cousins told her that they were smoking marijuana, and he started to panic.
The cousin claimed Giovanni pulled out a knife on the side of the road, which Bridgette said was unlike her son.
Giovanni’s aunt, Desiree, shared on Facebook that he was with three boys when he disappeared, whom he had never met in person.
Desiree posted a video on social media pleading for the public’s help, and dismissing theories that her nephew was a runaway.
Giovanni’s family has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for a reward and resources for the search.
‘Giovanni is smart, kind, and full of life. He didn’t deserve this,’ the description reads.
‘Our family is heartbroken and frightened, and we’re doing all we can to bring him back home. Yet, we are receiving minimal assistance from the authorities, forcing us to conduct the search on our own.’
Giovanni’s disappearance is being investigated by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information is asked to contact their local law enforcement first
According to a missing persons poster shared by his family, Giovanni was last seen driving in a white Chevrolet Malibu to Mims.
He was wearing a Carhartt beanie, a white tank top, and black sweatpants. Giovanni is about 5’11 and weighs 140 lbs. The family is offering a reward for tips that lead to locating Giovanni.
Anyone with information on Giovanni’s whereabouts is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency, which will relay it to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Daily Mail reached out to local law enforcement for an update on the case.
