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- 'Mom, help': Missing teen sends text before disappearing on vacation</p>
<p>Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY August 9, 2025 at 12:13 AM</p>
<p>A North Carolina family is searching for an 18-year-old who went missing more than a week ago while on vacation out of state.</p>
<p>Giovanni Pelletier was on the trip with his family in Englewood, Florida, on Aug. 1 when he decided to visit other relatives about three hours away in Brevard County at around 1:30 a.m., according to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.</p>
<p>Pelletier was riding north on I-75 along with his cousins when they said the teen "suddenly began to act erratically before exiting the vehicle" near Manatee County, the sheriff's office stated.</p>
<p>In a GoFundMe, the family described his disappearance as "deeply troubling and suspicious."</p>
<p>Teen sent a text to his mother before his disappearance</p>
<p>The fundraiser says that Pelletier's mother last heard from him in a text, in which he wrote, "Mom, help."</p>
<p>Speaking to ABC News, his aunt, Desiree, said that he also sent similar messages to his grandfather and another aunt.</p>
<p>Missing People: A man had been missing since 1997 in Utah. Then, a foot was found.</p>
<p>Search underway for missing teen</p>
<p>According to Florida Today, part of USA TODAY Network, a truck recovered his belongings, a cellphone and a backpack, near Bradenton.</p>
<p>Earlier this week, loved ones gathered in a wooded area in Mims, in Brevard, to search for the teen after receiving an anonymous tip.</p>
<p>'Our heart'</p>
<p>The GoFundMe has raised nearly $15,000 of its $20,000 goal as of Friday morning, Aug. 8.</p>
<p>It describes Pelletier as "smart, kind and full of life." According to Fox 13, the family is pleading for his return, offering a $25,000 reward for any information.</p>
<p>"We understand there are a lot of people who may be scared to speak up, or maybe there aren't people who are willing to relay information, but this isn't just a missing person," his mother, Bridgette, told the news station. "This is our heart, and he's part of our family."</p>
<p>The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office is working with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office on this investigation.</p>
<p>USA TODAY has reached out to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office for more information.</p>
<p>Contributing: J.D. Gallop, Florida Today</p>
<p>Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing teen Giovanni Pelletier disappears on vacation in Florida</p>
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