Manatee, Fla. — The family of missing 18-year-old Giovanni “Geo” Pelletier has increased the reward for information leading to his whereabouts to $25,000, intensifying efforts to bring him home. The search enters its second week as relatives and volunteers continue scouring Florida for clues.
Friday, August 8, marks one week since Giovanni vanished while traveling to visit relatives in the state. His mother, Bridgette Pelletier, is appealing to the public for help, stressing that their family’s only goal is to reunite with their son. “The biggest message for me is that we want our son home,” Bridgette told FOX 13. “We are not going to stop looking for him.”
The Pelletier family, visiting from North Carolina, had been staying with relatives in Englewood. According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, on Friday, August 1, at around 1:30 a.m., Giovanni left with cousins to visit other family members in Brevard County. At some point during the trip, events took a troubling turn.
Bridgette recalled receiving an alarming text from Giovanni reading “help me.” She emphasized that her son would never deliberately cause her fear unless he was in genuine distress. “There are too many things that don’t make sense,” she said, expressing frustration with the narrative given to law enforcement.
Those traveling with Giovanni reported that he began acting erratically, exited the car, and walked away near Interstate 75 and State Road 70 in Manatee County. His phone and backpack were later discovered on the roadside. Bridgette questioned why those in the vehicle would leave him under such circumstances, suggesting key details may be missing.
Although Charlotte County deputies have assisted in the case, Bridgette believes incomplete information has hampered progress. “There’s been some amazing people in Charlotte County that have been so helpful, but without information we can’t move forward,” she said.
The non-profit search organization We Are the Essentials has joined forces with the family, focusing their search in Sarasota County and areas surrounding Englewood. Their strategy includes narrowing down the timeline using texts, FaceTime attempts, and other communication records from the night Giovanni disappeared.
Search coordinator Shelley Croft urged anyone who may have captured footage of the white Chevy Malibu Giovanni was riding in to contact authorities. “If you believe that you see them, that video can make a world of difference,” Croft said. “You may be the missing piece to the puzzle.”
For the Pelletier family, life remains on hold until Giovanni is found. “Our family is not the same without Geo,” Bridgette said. “We won’t be able to go home and go back to normal. We need him home.”
What You Can Do
Anyone with information about Giovanni Pelletier’s disappearance is urged to contact the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 639-2101. Even the smallest lead could help bring him back to his loved ones.