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Kid places 'help us' sign in window after Florida police respond to domestic disturbance call

Police said a drone found children hiding inside the home, and Andre Janard Smithson surrendered peacefully after officers removed them safely.

  • On October 26, Kissimmee Police arrested Andre Janard Smithson after a child inside a Florida home displayed a handwritten note reading "HELP US" in a window during an alleged domestic disturbance.
  • Family members alerted the Kissimmee Police after one of the children texted his grandmother, prompting officers to discover three children hiding in a guest bedroom and a 5-month-old in the master bedroom.
  • After receiving no answer at the door, police utilized a drone to locate the children and established telephone contact to coordinate their safe exit from the residence.
  • Authorities successfully distracted Smithson, allowing the children to escape safely; the 33-year-old then "eventually surrendered peacefully" to officers on charges of false imprisonment and an outstanding active warrant.
  • The Kissimmee Police praised "excellent teamwork" of responding units in resolving the situation, while Smithson remained in jail as of Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
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Alerted for possible violence at the home of a 33-year-old man, the police officers in Kissimmee, Florida, found no children on their arrival. It's thanks to a drone and a visible distress message since...

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Sarasota Herald-Tribune broke the news on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
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