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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying two-word text mother received just moments before her son mysteriously disappeared
A teen mysteriously disappeared while traveling with his cousins in Florida, just moments after he texted his mother, 'Mom help.' Giovanni Pelletier, 18, disappeared last Friday in the early hours of the morning while traveling on an interstate with his cousins in Englewood, a city about 45 minutes south of Sarasota, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. He was in the car with his cousins on his father's side when he 'suddenly began to act erratically before exiting the vehicle and walking away near SR70,' the sheriff's office said. The Charlotte County and Brevard County Sheriff's Offices have launched an investigation to locate the missing teen, but his family says they haven't heard from him since. 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. 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. When he turned 18, Bridgette said he wanted to get to know his father's family. 'He was craving the culture and the background from his dad's side of the family, and I couldn't give that to him,' she said. Bridgette added that there has been little communication with Giovanni's relatives and that they haven't helped them look for her son. After he disappeared, she said his paternal grandfather left her a message that there was an altercation on the side of the road between the cousins, and to 'let him know when I found Giovanni.' 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 devastated, terrified, and doing everything in our power to bring him home — but we're receiving very little help from officials, and we are being forced to search on our own.' 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.
CBS News
16-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Mysterious object found by children on Florida beach was a World War II-era bomb, authorities say
A mysterious object recently discovered by children on a Southwest Florida beach turned out to be an unexploded World War II-era bomb, authorities confirmed over the weekend — a discovery that stunned local residents. The children were playing near the Gulf View condos in Englewood Beach on June 11 when they initially came across the device, mistaking the barnacle-covered object for a scuba tank, according to WBBH. It wasn't until Saturday that Charlotte County deputies confirmed the item was a suspected air drop bomb dating back to World War II. "I was shivering when I heard it was a bomb," said Maci Martinez, one of the children who had taken photos and touched the object before its identification. CBS affiliate WINK reported that the Lee County and Sarasota County bomb squads coordinated with deputies to ensure the safe removal of the device. For safety reasons, officials did not reveal the exact location where the bomb was found and urged the public to avoid the area while the situation was being resolved. On Saturday afternoon, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office evacuated the area and roped off roughly 100 feet of beachfront, according to WBBH. The Sarasota Bomb Squad and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa were dispatched to the scene. Officials determined the bomb was inactive and safely removed it from the area. "You just never know what will wash up," said Linda Powers, a local resident who witnessed the commotion. "It's always a day at the beach."
