Florida police rescue kids holding ‘help us’ sign in the window during a domestic incident

Florida police rescue kids holding ‘help us’ sign in the window during a domestic incident Kissimmee police used a drone to assess the situation after receiving no response from those inside the building - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Four children were rescued from a Florida home after one of them held up a sign to police reading “HELP US” during a domestic incident. Kissimmee Police responded to the address at the Flora Ridge Condominiums after being contacted by family members concerned about the children’s safety. Upon arriving at the scene, police say that they found a domestic disturbance involving 33-year-old Andre Janard Smithson. Family members told police that they were worried that Smithson would not let the children leave, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WTSP. An adult woman inside the home had also told her sister that Smithson was “beating” her. However, police received no response when they tried to reach those inside the property during the incident on October 26. Eventually, authorities deployed a drone which located the children hiding in a room, police say. That was when one child “bravely” held up the note to the window. At the time, Smithson was in the property’s master bedroom with the unnamed woman and their 5-month-old daughter, the affidavit states. The 33-year-old communicated with authorities via the phone and refused requests to allow either the mom or the children to leave, cops said. While he was distracted, the children were able to escape the residence. Smithson surrendered and left the home after a SWAT team and crisis negotiators joined the operation, according to the affidavit. Speaking to officers, the mom said that she had been unable to escape after Smithson stood in the way of the door. She told authorities that the argument had been verbal and not physical, something Smithson has also claimed. Smithson has been charged with false imprisonment and remains behind bars at the Osceola County jail, according to records obtained by The Independent. He also has an outstanding warrant, police have revealed. Speaking to investigators, he claimed he wanted to see his daughter before heading to jail. Jonathan Chapman, who lives near the apartment complex, told News 6 that he had noticed a large police build-up in the area but did not know that the children were hiding inside the property. “I didn’t step outside or anything; I just looked through the balcony and saw the cops,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking for the kids.” The Independent has contacted the Kissimmee Police Department for further comment on the incident.