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Florida authorities are searching for a missing 18-year-old from North Carolina who disappeared in Manatee County under "suspicious circumstances," according to his family.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office first announced Sunday that Giovanni Pelletier went missing while vacationing with family in Englewood before leaving to visit more relatives in Brevard County.
The last time he was seen was around 1:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1, when his cousins, whom he had never met before, picked him up in Charlotte County.
Deputies say the group was heading north on I-75 when Pelletier's cousins claim he "suddenly began to act erratically" before leaving the vehicle and walking away near State Road 70 in Manatee County.
Since Pelletier's disappearance, his aunt has launched a GoFundMe, which has raised more than $16,000 as of Friday afternoon. She writes on the fundraiser website that his disappearance is "deeply troubling" and involves "suspicious circumstances."
MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/manateecounty/missing-teen-giovanni-pelletier-manatee-county-north-carolina-florida/67-97822c67-88a7-4b42-ad30-7c905392de5c