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A handwritten “HELP US” note reportedly displayed in a Florida home’s window prompted police to rescue four frightened children and arrest a man accused of holding them against their will.
According to The Palm Beach Post, Andre Janard Smithson, 33, was arrested on Oct. 26 and slapped with false imprisonment charges after worried family members told police they feared for the kids’ safety.
“Using a drone, officers located the children hiding in a room, where one child bravely held a handwritten note against the window reading ‘HELP US,'” the Kissimmee Police Department posted on Facebook.
“The children were able to safely escape the residence while Smithson was distracted,” the post continues.
“With assistance from Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), Smithson eventually surrendered peacefully.”
Authorities sent a SWAT team to the residence, but nobody answered when they knocked on the door. The team got a hold of the kids by calling them.
The police drone reportedly discovered three children hiding inside a guest bedroom, while a 5-month-old infant was in the master bedroom, The Palm Beach Post reported.
The frantic kids told a 911 operator they were terrified of Smithson and that he refused to let them leave, according to cops.
When Smithson was distracted, the children escaped from the home, and the suspect eventually surrendered to police peacefully.
The relationship between Smithson and the children is unclear, but police described the incident as a “domestic disturbance.”
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