A 33-year-old Florida man stands accused of unlawfully confining a woman and three young children inside a residence against their will. The victims were only able to escape after the children displayed a handwritten sign reading “help us” in the window of the apartment.
Andre Janard Smithson was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of false imprisonment in connection with the alleged incident, according to authorities.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Kissimmee police officers responded to a call at an apartment complex located in the 3300 block of Whitestone Circle shortly before 7:35 p.m. on October 25, after a woman reported that her sister was engaged in an argument with Smithson. The caller informed police that her son was present inside the apartment and had communicated that Smithson was physically assaulting the woman.
Upon arrival, officers repeatedly knocked on the door and called out to both the woman and Smithson, requesting that they come to the door. No one responded, and officers reported hearing no sounds of yelling or screaming from within the apartment.
Police then spoke with the woman’s mother, who stated that she had visited the apartment earlier that day but had departed in the afternoon. She subsequently received a text message from a grandchild indicating that he had overheard an argument between the woman and Smithson. The mother confirmed that three additional children and another adult remained inside the residence.
Officers eventually made contact with one of the children through the grandmother’s phone, as detailed in the affidavit. The child stated that Smithson was refusing to allow the children to leave and that they were frightened of him.
“A drone was used to observe the room that the children were in,” the affidavit states. “The children did not look distressed and did not have any physical injuries but were asking for help. The children wrote the word ‘help’ from inside the bedroom and stated they were in fear because Andre would not let them exit the apartment. Three children were inside a guest room.”
At the time, Smithson and the woman were reported to be in the master bedroom along with their five-month-old daughter.
When police eventually reached Smithson by phone, he allegedly stated “he was not going to exit the apartment immediately due to wanting to spend time with [redacted] before going to jail,” according to the affidavit.
Officers requested that he allow the woman and children to leave the apartment, but he allegedly refused to comply. Police then instructed the children to make their escape while officers diverted Smithson’s attention. He surrendered shortly thereafter and was placed under arrest.
The woman declined to provide a written statement and indicated that she was “not seeking prosecution.” In an oral statement, she explained that Smithson had been visiting their child when an argument ensued. She denied that any physical violence had taken place, but acknowledged that “she was not allowed to leave the bedroom or apartment.”
Smithson denied any attempt to prevent the children from leaving, according to the affidavit.
Smithson is currently being held at the Osceola County Jail without bond. It remains unclear when he is scheduled to make his next court appearance.
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