UPDATE: MCSO said a male body was located in a pond alongside the interstate in the area where Giovanni Pelletier was last seen.
Authorities have yet to identify the body. The investigation is ongoing.
Watch report from ABC Action News reporter Chad Mills:
A nonprofit issued an alert for a Critical Missing Person case after an 18-year-old traveling to Englewood disappeared.
We Are The Essentials said Giovanni Pelletier was last spotted on Aug. 1. He went missing while traveling with his family to Mims, Florida.
During an argument, Pelletier reportedly exited a vehicle near SR-70 in Manatee County. His phone and backpack were found about a half mile away near Bradenton along I-75.
WATE said they are working in tandem with Pelletier's family and are engaged in a search effort.
Anyone who spots Pelletier should immediately call 911. You can also contact investigator Shelley Croft at (863) 738-3201 with any leads.
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