A desperate handwritten note pressed against a window led Florida police to rescue four children from a home where they were allegedly being held against their will.
Andre Janard Smithson, 33, was arrested on Oct. 26 in Kissimmee after a tense standoff involving a SWAT team and a police drone, according to authorities. Worried family members had contacted police earlier, saying they feared for the children’s safety.
The Kissimmee Police Department detailed the rescue in a Facebook post, explaining how officers used technology to locate the children before they made their escape. “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 department wrote.
The drone reportedly discovered three children hiding inside a guest bedroom, while a 5-month-old infant was found in the master bedroom, according to The Palm Beach Post.
The children managed to flee while Smithson was distracted, police said. “The children were able to safely escape the residence while Smithson was distracted,” the department’s post continued.
Officers had first tried to make contact by knocking on the door, but nobody answered. The SWAT team and Crisis Negotiation Team were called to the scene, and authorities were eventually able to reach the children by phone.
The frantic kids told a 911 operator they were terrified of Smithson and that he refused to let them leave, according to police.
“With assistance from Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), Smithson eventually surrendered peacefully,” the Kissimmee Police Department added in its post.
Smithson was charged with false imprisonment and was also booked on an outstanding active warrant. Police have not publicly specified what that warrant was for.
The relationship between Smithson and the children remains unclear, though authorities described the incident as a “domestic disturbance.”
KPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Post.