Gabby Petito: Brian Laundrie search in Carlton Reserve in sixth day: LIVE UPDATES
The FBI on Thursday said the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the disappearance and homicide of deceased Gabby Petito.
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"This evening around 6:45pm the North Port Police Department received a report of gunshots in the area of Brian Laundries' home from an unknown number," North Port Police PIO Josh Taylor told Fox News. "No injuries are reported. Right now, there is no evidence any shots were actually fired in the area. There are also no reports from the large contingency of media who were standing outside the home, at the time."
12 cop cars showed up and entered the Laundrie home as well as other homes in the neighborhood around 6:45 PM ET but all left shortly after.
Fox affiliate reporter Evan Axelbank tweeted that reporters in the area speculated it was a “bogus call" given how quickly the arrival and departure of officers was.
"The major ground search in the Carlton Reserve has pretty much wrapped up for Friday night," North Port Police PIO Josh Taylor told Fox News. "Some members remain on scene. We will be back out throughout the weekend. Focusing on areas of more likelihood across the Reserve."
Taylor also addressed recent reports about the total cost of the search for Brian Laundrie.
"The question about costs have come up a lot today," Taylor said. "We do not have that tallied up. We are not paying other agencies, it's mutual aid. From our personnel standpoint, I would say we are working this case instead of other things. That has an impact of course. There will be some overtime mixed in there. Cost of fuel and vehicle maintenance too. Almost every meal we've had at the PD has been made by family or donated. Every meal for those working out in the field has been donated by generous citizens and businesses."
Taylor thanked the "special community" around North Port as well as the "professional" media coverage.
"We understand the need for answers," Taylor added. "We, along with our many law enforcement partners are looking to bring those answers to you. At the right time, we will be able to share everything. This weekend we will not be providing sound and video unless there is something of major note. Obviously, if something of note is found, like Brian, we will be ready to act and provide needed info."
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A woman came by the Laundrie family's North Port home around noon on Friday and placed pictures of Gabby Petito with the phrase "I was here once” on the lawn.
The woman posted a total of 5 fliers.
North Port Police PIO Josh Taylor provided a video link to footage of his department's search for Brian Laundrie in Carlton reserve.
"Nothing has been found so far today," Taylor said. "Details for Friday are TBD. We will send out a release when efforts have been halted for the day and possible details moving forward."
"Again, this is an FBI led criminal investigation and North Port Police are assisting our federal partner in any way we can to bring this investigation to a close," Taylor added.
A former Utah police chief has come to the defense of the Moab police officers who responded to a mid-August 911 call involving Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, amid news of a probe into the way the incident was handled, according to a local report.
KSL-TV spoke to former Moab City Police Chief Jim Winder about the Aug. 12 police stop involving Laundrie, 23, and 22-year-old Petito.
The city of Moab said Thursday it will conduct a formal investigation into the handling of the dispute. City officials said they were not aware of any breach of department policies, but intend to make a "thorough, informed evaluation" based on the results of the investigation.
Winder, who served at the helm of the department until 2019, told KSL-TV on Thursday that in the context of the police officers’ response to what they were told could be a domestic dispute, "the officers did an excellent job, from my experience."
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North Port Police vehicles leave the Carlton Reserve during a search for Brian Laundrie on Tuesday. (AP)
As Brian Laundrie’s current whereabouts remain unknown, posters have taken to social media questioning how the 23-year-old slipped away from police surveillance in the first place.
"It's tough to believe, that with ALL the Technology we have... That North Port PD couldn't keep their eyes on Brian Laundrie," one person wrote on Twitter.
North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor, when asked by Fox News on Friday morning to comment on criticisms like these, said "because of the ongoing investigation and importance of the timeline in this case, we cannot disclose full details on what all investigators were and are working on.
"We have never indicated what surveillance techniques have been involved in this case," he added.
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Joe Petito, Gabby's father, has posted on Instagram "Thank to all for your support and love" alongside details of his daughter's memorial visitation service this upcoming Sunday in New York.
Investigators searching the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve near North Port, Fla., are looking specifically for Brian Laundrie and not other physical evidence.
“No physical evidence,” police spokesman Josh Taylor told Fox News Friday morning in response to speculation that police may have also been searching for items linked to Laundrie’s cross-country road trip with Gabby Petito concealed in the sprawling reserve.
The FBI confirmed this week that remains found Sunday at a campsite north of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, belonged to Petito, a 22-year-old New York native who was reported missing on Sept. 11 and last seen alive at the end of August.
The Federal Aviation Administration has set up “temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons” Friday at the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, where investigators are now in the midst of their sixth day searching for Brian Laundrie.
The restrictions are set to run through Friday, Oct. 1, and cover a 3 nautical mile radius from a point inside the sprawling reserve, according to the FAA.
A memorial visitation service will be held from 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday for Gabby Petito at Moloney’s Holbrook Funeral Home on Long Island, New York, Fox News has confirmed.
Gabby Petito, left, and Brian Laundrie are seen in bodycam footage released by the Moab City Police Department in Utah. (Moab City Police Department)
Nearly a week into the search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI has secured an indictment on interstate bank fraud charges and recovered the remains of his fiancée, Gabby Petito, in Wyoming.
But Laundrie remains at large after sneaking out of his family’s Florida home.
Police in North Port Florida are conducting large-scale, daily searches of the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve near his home, where he may be hiding out.
But there’s also speculation that Laundrie may have fled to the reserve as cover, then traveled elsewhere. He could have taken advantage of the chaos at the southern border to slip into Mexico. Some Internet sleuths think he’s in Puerto Rico. And he could have taken off in a number of other directions.
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North Port Police/Twitter
"The ground search in the Carlton has been halted for the day. Nothing found. We will be back at it Friday. A federal arrest warrant has now been issued for Brian Laundrie. Please see @FBIDenver for details," the police tweet read.
The FBI on Thursday said the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the disappearance and homicide of deceased Gabby Petito.
The warrant alleges that Laundrie committed debit card fraud between Aug. 30, 2021, and Sept. 1, 2021.
The warrant is "pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment for violation of federal statute 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(i): ‘Use of Unauthorized Devices’ related to Mr. Laundrie's activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito."
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