Florida sheriff shows last known images of Wake County teen before he was found dead in pond

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WTVD) -- Surveillance video is shedding new light on the moments leading up to the tragic death of an 18-year-old from Wake County who disappeared while on a family vacation in Florida.

In a news conference Tuesday morning, Manatee County (Florida) Sheriff Rick Wells said investigators talked to a cousin of Fuquay-Varina native Giovanni Pelletier, who said the two started smoking marijuana in the car while their friend started driving.

While in the car, Pelletier allegedly then started "tripping," according to what the cousin told the sheriff's office.

ALSO SEE | Grieving mom remembers son as 'so accepting and 'loving'

Pelletier's cousin said he then let him out of the car when Gio allegedly said he had a knife.

That's when Pelletier got out of the car and could be seen on video running south across Interstate 75, nearly getting hit by a truck.

Another camera shows Pelletier at a Lowe's home improvement store near the retention pond where his body was found.

Wells showed a video where Pelletier could be seen running down the hill into the pond.

"There's no one in this area with Giovanni; there's no one that's chasing him, he's by himself," Wells said. "What we don't know is what happened when he hit that pond. I don't know."

Pelletier's body was found days later by a family friend.

Authorities are still waiting for the toxicology report to learn more. Wells reiterated that there were no signs of foul play on the body, saying there was no indication he had been shot or stabbed.

Pelletier's family told ABC11 that it plans to meet with the sheriff's office in Manatee County on Wednesday morning.

Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App