Multiple family members and home health nurses have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 7-year-old child who was found horribly malnourished on Christmas Day in Fort Lauderdale last year.
The five arrests are in connection with the Dec. 25, 2023 death of Deonte Atwell, Fort Lauderdale Police said Wednesday.
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Police and fire rescue had responded to a home near the 1700 block of Southwest 11th Street after reports of a medical emergency involving Atwell.
Atwell was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Atwell had turned 7 just two days earlier, on Dec. 23, although prosecutors said it appeared he may have been dead "for quite some time."
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Detectives discovered Atwell had a condition that required in-home medical services and determined that several family members and home health nurses had not provided him with appropriate medical services, resulting in aggravated abuse and his death, officials said.
In court Wednesday, prosecutors said Atwell endured prolonged starvation, and was horribly malnourished and neglected, weighing just seven pounds when he died.
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The Broward State Attorney's Office said Atwell was diagnosed at birth as a "medically complex child" with thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus, he had a breathing tube and feeding tube and required around-the-clock skilled nursing care.
Investigators found 264 unopened bottles of Atwell's feeding formula in the home, the state attorney's office said.
"It's sad that Deonte had to die in this manner," Fort Lauderdale Police Det. Jacqueline Sanchez told reporters Wednesday. "It's sad to say that Deonte had suffered all the way through his death by the people who were supposed to be caring for him the most."
Atwell's 9-year-old and 16-year-old siblings were in the home sharing a bed with Atwell before his death, prosecutors said.
Investigators also found Atwell died during a scheme to defraud Medicaid, conservatively estimated at more than $10,000 but less than $50,000, officials said.
Sanchez said it's possible Atwell suffered for six months to a year.
"It was very disturbing, I can tell you I lost sleep more than once," Sanchez said.
Among those arrested were Atwell's mother, 37-year-old Michelle Doe, who faces charges including first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, aggravated child abuse, and two counts of neglect of a child.
Atwell's brother, 21-year-old Tyreck Irvin, was arrested on similar charges while his grandfather, 70-year-old James Graham, is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, neglect of a child, and failure to report child abuse.
The owner of the home health provider, 47-year-old Mirlande Moltimer Ameda, is charged with felony third-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, Medicaid fraud, and neglect of a child.
The nurse assigned to care for Atwell, 33-year-old Cassandre Lassegue, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, felony murder in third degree, aggravated child abuse, and Medicaid fraud.
Prosecutors said Ameda is the owner of Samaritin Home Care Provider, Inc. an enrolled Medicaid provider, and Lassegue is a licensed, registered nurse the home care provider company employed to provide in-home health care for Atwell in the months before his death.
Sanchez said the nurse had stopped going to the house but they're still investigating for how long. She also filled out paperwork saying she was there when she wasn't, Sanchez said.
"I believe that had she been there, maybe she could have seen the deterioration that Deonte was going through and maybe possibly have said something," Sanchez said. "The starvation did not happen overnight."
All of the suspects were arrested Tuesday. Irvin, Graham, Ameda, and Lassegue made their first appearances in court Wednesday morning, where Irvin, Ameda, and Lassegue were ordered held without bond. Graham’s bond was set at $22,000 and he may be released on house arrest with an electronic GPS monitor if he posts bond.
Doe was expected to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.
The case is being investigated with the Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Control Unit, police said.
Anyone with more information is asked to call police at 954-828-5570.
