Friends and family honor Fuquay-Varina teen who died in Florida last month

APEX, N.C. (WNCN) – Family and friends gathered outside Hope Community Church Saturday night to honor 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier.

“We’re just trying to keep pushing forward, keep our heads high and do what he would want us to do and celebrate him the best we could,” said Morgan Hall, who was a cousin to Pelletier.

Pelletier went missing and was found dead in Florida last month,

while visiting family in Englewood.

Investigators with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said he left with his cousin for Brevard County before texting his mom “Help.”

Investigators say he may have smoked marijuana with his cousins before getting in the car. His cousins told police that Pelletier started acting erratically and got out of the car on Interstate 75 near SR 70.

A week later, his body was found in a retention pond in the same area.

“It’s very confusing and very hard to process, even still,” his girlfriend, Arden, said.

His family told CBS 17 that Pelletier just started attending church and was recently baptized at Hope Community Church. As they honored him, they read highlighted scriptures from his Bible that he leaves behind.

Friends remember the funny and kind person he was.

“You and him had so many memories,” a friend said to Zay Mitchel.

“It’s the literal definition of day one,” Mitchel replied.

“No matter what, he was always spitting some jokes, finding something funny, he was always just being the brightest person in the room,” Arden said.

The cause of Pelletier’s death remains unknown; investigators say the toxicology report could take a few months to come back.

“As of right now, we’re still just in the waiting process, which makes it harder to grieve but it gives you a little hope at the end of the day that we might get a better resolution in the end,” Hall said.

Investigators say no trauma or foul play was found in the autopsy.