Latest news with #BrevardCountySheriff'sOffice
Hindustan Times
04-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Where is Giovanni Pelletier? 18-y/o leaves Florida by car with 3 individuals, disappears after sending ‘Help Me' text
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office is searching for an 18-year-old who disappeared while vacationing with his family in Englewood on August 1. Giovanni Pelletier went missing after leaving around 1:30 am to visit more family in Brevard County, according to Where is Giovanni Pelletier? 18-y/o leaves Florida by car with 3 individuals, disappears after sending 'Help Me' text (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office/Facebook) Where is Giovanni Pelletier? Pelletier was traveling with his cousins, going north on I-75, before he began acting erratically and got out of the vehicle, those in the car with him claimed, per the outlet. The people who last saw him said he began going towards State Road 70 in Manatee County. While the people Pelletier was last seen with have been described by news outlets as his cousins, his family claimed he left Nims, Florida, with three men he had only spoken to over the phone, and they claimed to be 'relatives of his father.' Read More | Jamyla Norwood case: Critically missing teen found safe days after disappearance, Milwaukee police say The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is now working with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office to locate Pelletier. The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post, 'The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office is currently conducting a missing person investigation for a male named Giovonni Pelletier (04/02/2007). Giovanni was vacationing with his family in Englewood before leaving around 1:30am Friday, August 1, to visit more family in Brevard County. He was traveling North on I75 with his cousins, who advised Giovanni suddenly began to act erratically before exiting the vehicle and walking away near SR70 (Manatee County). We are working this investigation collaboratively with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. If anyone has information on where Giovanni Pelletier may be, please contact our non-emergency number (941) 639-2101.' Giovanni Pelletier's cousin suspects foul play Morgan Hull, who claimed Pelletier is her cousin, shared on Facebook that while searching for the missing man, his grandmother had a stroke. 'While searching for my missing cousin Giovanni on the side of the highway, my aunt — his grandmother — had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital. She's now admitted and being monitored. Please keep our family in your prayers during this nightmare, and continue to help us bring Giovanni home. We need all the strength, love, and support we can get right now,' Hull wrote. Read More | Julian Brown went 'missing' for days before finally returning to social media. He now has an explanation Hull said on Facebook that before Pelletier's disappearance, he was 'picked up by a few boys from his dad's side of the family — people he had never met in person, only talked to over the phone.' She added, 'They were trying to connect and drove from Mims, Florida to Englewood, Florida. On the way back to Mims, they claim there was an argument and they left him on the side of the road. His phone and backpack were found a half mile up the road — police said a truck driver found them on the highway in Bradenton, Florida, in his work truck.' Hull said that at 1:51, Pelletier sent a text to his mom that read, 'Help me mom.' That was the last time he was heard from. Hull also called for people to turn up and join a search party for her missing cousin. 'Our family is hurting and desperate. We need help, love, and prayers more than ever. Please share this and show up if you can,' she wrote. In one post, Hull indicated that the whole truth about the circumstances leading up to Pelletier's disappearance is not being revealed. 'You don't leave someone on the side of the road and think nobody's gonna say anything. Giovanni Pelletier is missing and we know y'all aren't telling the full truth. His phone was found thrown down the highway — and now nobody's seen or heard from him since. We will NOT stay quiet. If you did something to him, we're coming for you. This family don't play about ours. You will be found. You will be exposed. And justice will be served,' she wrote. More chilling details emerged in a Facebook post shared by Project Cold Case: Serving Okaloosa & Surrounding Counties. The page said that the three men who were last seen with Pelletier were found, and they claimed that during an argument, they dropped him off just ten minutes from his home. 'In the hours that followed, whispers began to surface—rumors from within the families of the men involved. They claimed that all four had smoked something that night. That Giovanni became violent. That he pulled a knife. That the others disarmed him, forced him out of the car, and later discarded his cellphone and backpack along the road. Yet, that same family member would state that they all pray for his safety,' the post reads. 'The same family member of the men would later suggest that Giovanni had simply run away. But from what?' it adds. 'Why would a young man run from the very people who had stood by him his entire life—a family who loved him unconditionally, supported him through every chapter, and took pride in the kind, respectful person he had become? The same family member then changed the story again, claiming that Giovanni wasn't dropped on the side of the highway at all, but instead at a Circle K convenience store. She insisted there were witnesses who saw him there.' It further says, 'But if that were true—if he'd truly been dropped off at a Circle K, and the others had taken his cellphone—why wouldn't Giovanni have gone inside and used the store's phone to call his mother? She was only minutes away, likely still awake, likely waiting to hear the sound of his footsteps at the door, especially after the 1:51am text message, "Help Me Mom".'
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE raids ramp up on Florida's Space Coast with construction workers, landscapers detained
The Brief ICE Agents and Brevard County deputies are making arrests in Cocoa. Eyewitnesses say the latest string of arrests happened at an apartment complex and involved a construction crew. A new Congressional bill was introduced on Wednesday to improve transparency with increased immigration arrests. COCOA, Fla. - The Brevard County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday that deputies assisted federal immigration authorities in Cocoa this week, sparking concern among residents and drawing new calls for transparency in immigration enforcement. What we know The Brevard County Sheriff's Office confirmed deputies assisted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations on Tuesday in Cocoa. Witnesses recorded the interaction with law enforcement that took place at an apartment complex on Clearlake Road. In images shared with FOX 35, multiple deputy and immigration vehicles were parked outside the Oak Meadows leasing office, and at least one vehicle was towed from the scene. Other photos sent to FOX 35 show other landscape workers being detained by immigration authorities and deputies earlier in the month on State Road 520 and Blake Avenue. Legal experts say employers can face consequences for hiring undocumented workers in Florida. People who saw the arrest at the apartment complex say residents and workers are fearful and are seeing authorities in the area more often. A new bill, called the Stop Unlawful Detention and End Mistreatment (SUDEM) Act, was introduced by Congressman Maxwell Frost on Wednesday to try and increase transparency with ICE agents sharing information publicly when arrests are made. The Speaker of the House says more focus should instead be put on supporting ICE agents and making sure they have resources to make arrests. What we don't know It's unclear how many people were detained in either situation in Cocoa. It's also unclear if their families were alerted by ICE about the arrests. We don't know if the people had warrants out for other crimes or only their immigration status. What they're saying People who saw the arrests are worried about families being notified since they're happening at work. Legal experts say it's not just employees who can face consequences if working illegally. Employers can also be held accountable in Florida. "Nobody should be fearful of living day to day in their homes or going to work," said Amaya Ruiz, who is concerned about how the arrests are affecting families in the community. "For employers that have more than 25 employees they have to do mandatory E-Verify to make sure they're not hiring undocumented workers," said civil attorney Carlos Martin with Forest Lake Law. "This bill is a step towards pulling back the curtain on our immigration and detention system," said Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost, who just filed new legislation to improve transparency with ICE arrests. "It's a patriotic duty. They're understaffed. They're overwhelmed with the workload. They're trying to go after the dangerous criminal illegal aliens," said Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who says ICE agents need more resources to continue making arrests. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower has been monitoring social media for weeks when people have shared photos and videos of ICE and Brevard deputies arresting workers in Cocoa. She spoke with Brevard Sheriff to confirm their deputies were assisting ICE on June 18, 2025. She also interviewed an eyewitness to the latest arrests. On the same day, she watched a press briefing where new legislation was introduced by a Central Florida lawmaker on the immigration issue.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Florida attorney general, FHP, Brevard County sheriff to hold ICE news conference Thursday morning
The Brief A press conference will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in Titusville, Florida. Speakers include Attorney General James Uthmeier, Sheriff Wayne Ivey, and other state and federal officials. Further details about what the news conference will be about were not released. TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Attorney General James Uthmeier will join Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey and other top law enforcement and immigration officials for a press conference on Thursday morning. The briefing will take place at the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in Titusville, Uthmeier will also be joined by Florida Highway Patrol Colonel Gary Howze, State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Larry Keefe and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement State Liaison Officer Anthony Coker Further details about what the news conference will be about were not released. FOX 35 News will stream the conference at the top of this page. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
3rd suspect identified in Cocoa shooting that injured toddler
The Brief A toddler was shot in the pelvis on May 13, outside Cocoa Meat & Produce, where three men opened fire on a 17-year-old who was with the child and her mother. Two suspects have been arrested in the case. A third suspect, Lynnard Semaj Woods, 19, remains at large, and investigators are still working to determine the motive. COCOA, Fla. - Brevard County deputies continue to search for a third suspect in the shooting of a toddler. Wanted Suspect At-Large Lynnard Semaj Woods, 19, is wanted for a shooting earlier this month in Cocoa. The child was sitting in a stroller when three people hopped out of a car and engaged in a shootout, injuring the little girl. Two others have already been arrested. The backstory The shooting happened on May 13 outside the Cocoa Meat & Produce on South Burnett Road in West Cocoa, officials said. Three people in a black Mercedes and a man and woman pushing a stroller with a toddler in it began shooting at each other in a "gunfight," Sheriff Ivey said. The fight was apparently over some ongoing feud between the groups. The baby was shot in the pelvis and is expected to survive. The 17-year-old boy who was walking with the woman and baby was arrested on a charge of possession of a firearm. A 32-year-old man was also arrested on a number of charges related to the incident. What they're saying Authorities are looking for one more person. "It takes a community to protect a community, and Brevard County is the best there is at doing it, so let's serve up a little Brevard County Justice and put Woods where he belongs, behind bars at Ivey's Iron Bar Lodge," Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said. What you can do Anyone with information is asked to contact the Brevard County Sheriff's Office or Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477, email wheeloffugitive@ or call the Fugitive Unit directly at 321-622-1227. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
West Cocoa shooting: Teen arrested 400 miles away in Georgia
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A 17-year-old boy wanted in connection to a chaotic shootout outside a West Cocoa grocery store that left a baby shot, has been arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office said. What we know U.S. Marshals and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office tracked the 17-year-old to Atlanta, Georgia – more than 400 miles away from Brevard County, Florida, where he was arrested. FOX 35 is not naming the boy due to his age. He is expected to be extradited back to Brevard County, where he'll face a number of charges, including aggravated child abuse, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, discharging a firearm in public, possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent, and open carry of a weapon. What they're saying "You can run, but you can't hide!! Now in my opinion, if you want to act like a tough guy by firing a gun in the direction of an innocent 2 year old, then be man enough to stand by your actions instead of hiding like a baby!!" - Sheriff Wayne Ivey. BCSO previously clarified to FOX 35 that the child was 1, not 2. The backstory The shooting happened on May 13 outside the Cocoa Meat & Produce on South Burnett Road in West Cocoa, officials said. Three people in a black Mercedes and a man and woman pushing a stroller with a 1-year-old in it began shooting at each other in a "gunfight," Sheriff Ivey said. The fight was apparently over some ongoing feud between the groups. The baby was shot in the pelvis and is expected to survive. The 17-year-old boy who was walking with the woman and baby was arrested on a charge of possession of a firearm. A 32-year-old man was also arrested on a number of charges related to the incident. Authorities are looking for one more person, though specifics have not been released. What you can do Anyone with information is asked to contact the Brevard County Sheriff's Office or Crimeline. The Source The information comes from Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Brevard County Sheriff's Office, and online arrest records and court records.
