DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jared Bell, a 36-year-old actor well known for his role as Drake in the TV show “Drake & Josh,” was deemed safe Thursday after authorities in Florida initially said he was missing and endangered.
An Orange County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the agency made contact with Bell after the Daytona Beach Police Department announced it was searching for him Thursday morning.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
The sheriff’s office said Bell was unharmed, and deputies took action under the Baker Act to make sure he received a mental health evaluation.
Daytona Beach police announced the search for Bell in the morning, later updating a Facebook post.
“At this time, we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe,” a statement issued at 1:26 p.m. said.
[STORY CONTINUES BELOW]
Police were looking for Bell in the area near Mainland High School, along West International Speedway Boulevard.
“For those asking, this is a legitimate post from the Daytona Beach Police Department,” an earlier comment from the department stated.
No further information was shared, and it’s not known what prompted the alert.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
Bell later tweeted about the incident but offered few details, saying, “You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?”
You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this? 😂
— DrakeBell.ethᵍᵐ (@DrakeBell) April 13, 2023
Even though police said Bell was safe, people who live and work in the area had questions.
“I wonder how he is endangered?” Daytona Beach resident Meredith Willman said. “What is making him endangered? What is he even doing here? Again, I didn’t even know that he had any ties to the area.”
Bell began acting as a child and was catapulted to fame as a teen with Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” and later “Drake & Josh.” The Nickelodeon show starring Bell and Josh Peck ran from 2004 until 2007, and was accompanied by two movies.
Since then, Bell has mostly worked as a voice actor in addition to roles in little-seen TV series and movies. He also launched a music career.
In 2021, Bell was charged with child endangerment relating to a girl who attended a 2017 concert of his in Cleveland when she was 15 and had met him online years before. He pleaded guilty to felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and was sentenced to two years’ probation. He was allowed to serve his probation and 200 hours of community service in California.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: