North Carolina Teen Missing After Mysterious Disappearance in Florida

NORTH CAROLINA – Authorities are searching for 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier, a North Carolina teen who vanished under puzzling circumstances during a family trip to Florida. It has now been one week since he was last seen, and his family is offering a $25,000 reward for information that could bring him home.

Disappearance After Family Trip

Pelletier was traveling with cousins after being picked up in Englewood, Florida, when relatives say he began acting erratically. According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, he exited their vehicle near State Road 70 in Manatee County.

Family members reported that Giovanni sent multiple text messages asking for help shortly after leaving the vehicle. Since then, no one has heard from him.

“There’s been zero [communication],” his cousin Morgan Hull told reporters. “There’s been a hundred thousand tips, if you could say—but nothing leads to him. Nothing at all.”

Search Efforts and Found Items

Earlier this week, a tip led investigators to search in Mims, Florida, but Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey confirmed there was no evidence Giovanni had been there.

Some of his belongings—a backpack, school bag, and phone—were discovered along an interstate in Manatee County. Deputies from Brevard County assisted in interviewing the cousins and inspecting their vehicle.

“Our crime scene team went through it and reported back… there was no evidence of any type of wrongdoing,” Sheriff Ivey said, noting that the cousins’ accounts were consistent.

Family Pleads for Help

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office continues to lead the investigation. Giovanni’s family is urging anyone with information to step forward, stressing that their only priority is finding him alive and safe.

“We just want to find him. Bottom line—it doesn’t matter how. We just want him home,” Hull said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

Have you seen Giovanni Pelletier? The Saluda Standard-Sentinel urges readers to share any credible information that could help locate him. Community awareness can make all the difference—let’s help bring him home.