5 people arrested after 7-year-old boy died in Fort Lauderdale on Christmas Day

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida. – Five people have been arrested following the death of a 7-year-old boy on December 25, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, police said Wednesday.

According to Fort Lauderdale police, officers and Fort Lauderdale Fire Department personnel responded to a home near the 1700 block of Southwest 11th Street shortly before 8 p.m. on Christmas Day for a medical emergency.

According to police, the boy, Deonte Atwell, was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

On Wednesday, police issued a press release saying the investigation revealed that Deonte was suffering from a medical condition that required medical attention at home.

“After a thorough investigation, it was determined that several family members as well as the nurses at the home had failed to provide the necessary medical services, resulting in severe abuse and the death of the child,” the press release said.

A separate press release from the Broward State Attorney's Office said Deonte had starved to death and weighed approximately 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms) at the time of his death.

Police identified the five arrested suspects as:

• Michelle Doe, 37, the victim's mother, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated murder of a child, aggravated child abuse and two counts of child neglect.

• Tyreck Irvin, 21, the victim's brother, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated murder of a child, aggravated child abuse and two counts of child neglect.

• James Graham, 70, the victim's grandfather, is charged with manslaughter of a child, child neglect and failure to report child abuse.

• Mirlande Moltimer Ameda, 47, owner of Samaritan Home Care Provider, Inc., is charged with first-degree murder, manslaughter of a child, Medicaid fraud and child neglect.

• Cassandre Lassegue, 33, a nurse who cared for the victim for months before his death, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, third-degree premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse and Medicaid fraud.

All five suspects were arrested on Tuesday, police said.

According to prosecutors, Deonte “died of severe malnutrition, with his bones protruding through gaping holes in his skin, the autopsy revealed. At birth, the victim was diagnosed as a 'medically complex child' with thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus, was on a ventilator and feeding tube, and required around-the-clock skilled nursing care.”

Prosecutors said his death was pronounced less than an hour after he arrived at the hospital, but doctors told investigators it appeared he had been dead for some time.

“According to evidence, investigators found 264 unopened bottles of the victim's infant formula in the home,” the press release said. “The evidence also showed that the victim died as a result of a Medicaid fraud scheme, the cost of which is conservatively estimated at over $10,000 but less than $50,000.”

In addition to the charges related to Deonte, Doe and Irvin are also accused of neglecting two other boys, ages 9 and 16, who also lived in the same home.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department, the Broward County District Attorney's Office's Child Mortality and Child Abuse Unit, and the Attorney General's Statewide Medicaid Fraud Unit conducted a joint investigation into Deonte's death; the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Homicide Detective Jennifer Saint Jean at 954-828-5570, Homicide Detective Jackie Sanchez at 954-828-5539 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).

As of Wednesday morning, Doe, Irvin, Moltimer Ameda and Cassandre Lassegue were all being held in jail without bail. Graham was being held at the Broward County Main Jail on $22,000 bail.

If he posts bail, Graham will be fitted with a GPS monitor and placed under house arrest, prosecutors confirmed.