A North Carolina teenager has been missing for nearly a week after a vacation in Florida. Giovanni Pelletier, 18, was last heard from early last Friday. His disappearance is described as occurring under "deeply troubling and suspicious circumstances," according to his family’s GoFundMe page.

Pelletier was visiting Englewood, Florida, with his mother and her fiancé. He intended to reconnect with relatives from his biological father's side of the family. His aunt, Desiree Pelletier, shared that while he could not see his father, who is incarcerated, he had made plans to meet three cousins.

On August 1, with only a few days left in his vacation, Pelletier's cousins picked him up around 1:30 a.m. for a three-hour drive to their home in Mims, Florida. His mother was scheduled to pick him up the following day. However, within 25 minutes of leaving, he sent a text to his mother saying, "Help me." This was the last communication she received from him.

In addition to his mother, Pelletier also sent messages asking for help to his grandfather and another aunt. "Somewhere along the ride, something happened," Desiree Pelletier stated. The next morning, when his mother saw the messages and missed calls, she immediately contacted authorities.

Pelletier's cousins reported to police that the group had been smoking marijuana when he began to panic and pulled out a knife. However, his aunt expressed doubt about this behavior, stating, "That is not Gio" and that it does "not align" with his character. The cousins also told police that Pelletier acted erratically before exiting the vehicle.

His family believes he was abandoned on the side of the road in Bradenton, Florida. A truck driver found his backpack and phone in the area on the same day he disappeared. Bradenton is approximately an hour's drive from Englewood.

Desiree Pelletier emphasized that the family does not think he ran away, saying, "Something is not told right. It doesn’t make sense. Why would he say ‘Help me’ three different times to three people?"

The family has been actively searching for Giovanni Pelletier. Authorities have received numerous tips, but many have proven to be inaccurate. "We love him and want him home and we just want him to be OK. As a family, we can’t function normally. We’re not doing well right now. We just want him home," his aunt said, visibly emotional.

As of Thursday, the sheriff's office stated they have no new updates on the investigation and continue to urge anyone with information to come forward. The family is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Pelletier's whereabouts.