3 dead in standoff at Deerfield Beach RV park; two others badly hurt

By Juan Ortega and Wayne K. Roustan, Sun Sentinel

3:15 p.m. EST, February 10, 2012

A Port Orange man's trip took a bizarre turn when he drove his family to a recreational vehicle in Deerfield Beach, killed someone unknown to him there and then stabbed himself, his wife and two sons, the Broward Sheriff's Office said Friday.

The incident led to an hours-long standoff with SWAT team members, and it ended with three people found dead: The alleged attacker, William De Jesus, 41, his 9-year-old son, Jeshiah De Jesus, and one of the RV's occupants, Ovila Plante, 76, a snowbird from La Tuque, Quebec, the Sheriff's Office said.

Meanwhile, De Jesus' wife, Deanna De Jesus, 37, and his 7-year-old son remained hospitalized in serious condition on Friday, officials said.

During part of the ordeal, Plante's girlfriend also was held captive inside her RV at Highland Woods, a community of recreational vehicles at 900 NE 48th St. Pierrette Beauchemin managed to escape, run to safety, and was unhurt.

"This was initially just a bizarre and senseless crime," sheriff's spokeswoman Dani Moschella said of how the standoff unfolded. "And over the course of the evening, it became more horrific."

About 6:20 pm Thursday, De Jesus drove his red Mustang into the RV park, accompanied by his wife and sons.

De Jesus approached the RV at Lot 61, occupied by Plante and Beauchemin, even though De Jesus and his family didn't know the couple, officials said. "We do know that they were strangers to them," Moschella said.

According to the Sheriff's Office:

De Jesus started yelling at Plante, and Plante pushed him away. De Jesus pulled out a revolver and shot Plante in the chest. Plante fell to the pavement outside his home, and De Jesus approached him and shot him again in the head.

De Jesus led his family into the RV, still occupied by Beauchemin.

Later, Beauchemin fled from the vehicle and ran to deputies outside. De Jesus spoke to law enforcement by telephone early during an hours-long standoff, but later stopped talking to them.

About 12:30 a.m., the SWAT team entered the RV and found De Jesus and Jeshiah dead. De Jesus' wife and other son were found seriously wounded.

"There was a sense of elation when everyone realized there might be survivors inside: SWAT team members rescued the woman and the 7- year-old," Moschella said.

According to the Sheriff's Office, detectives determined that De Jesus stabbed his sons with a knife from the RV's kitchen before stabbing his wife and himself.

A motive hasn't been identified, and it was unknown where the Port Orange family had been before showing up at the Deerfield Beach trailer park.

"It's just so tragic and horrific when you think about the loss of life for seemingly no reason," Moschella said. "These two little boys must have been so frightened. It must have been a nightmare for them."

jcortega@tribune.com or 954-356-4701.

Original Article

Florida May Investigate Fewer Child Abuse Calls

I understand that the budgets are being cut everywhere and that government offices are short on staff everywhere.  But, what I don't get is trying to limit the number of investigations that are done.  I would not be willing to cut back on the investigations for fear that a child that needs help for real would fall through the cracks of an already broken system.

...The hot line averaged around 31,000 calls per month during the last fiscal year. About 80 percent of the calls resulted in an investigation...

As it is, we see news stories and reports from all over that there are children being taken from parents that really have done nothing wrong, and at the same time we see reports of children that are being abused forced to remain in those homes.

Yes, I agree that calls should be screened as much as possible, that is the only way to do that.  However, cutting back on investigations is only going to hurt the kids that really are being abused. 

Florida May Investigate Fewer Child Abuse Calls - News Story - WFTV Orlando

del.icio.us Tags: abuse-cases,abuse,awareness,child-abuse,child-protection-services,cps,dcfs,department-of-children-and-family-services,victims

Toddler may lose legs after mother dips him in boiling water

Ok, well DCFS is at it again...WOW...when are they going to wake up? And, start actually protecting the children that NEED protection. Why was this child still in this home? Ok, so you say I shouldn't point fingers....well they were "investigating" which all too often lately means there was a complaint filed and they were sitting on their thumbs...I say "they" which in actuality was probably one lazy case worker that is under paid and over worked...and just doesn't give a crap anymore. I don't know how to fix it (well I have a few suggestions) but I do wish someone would figure it out and fast our children are dying and being maimed and scarred for life at an alarming rate in this country. I strongly feel that when an agencies drops the ball on child abuse cases, domestic violence, family violence, whatever you want to call it; that the person responsible should be held accountable in some way. Until then the case workers are going to keep on doing what they have always done.

Read the full story here: Quad-Cities Online

The Associated Press: Texas officials looking at possible abuse among FLDS boys

For those of you following the FLDS YFZ case in Texas...

Texas officials told legislators Wednesday that they're investigating the possible sexual abuse of some young boys taken from a polygamist sect's ranch, as well as broken bones among other children.

In written and oral testimony provided to lawmakers Wednesday, officials with the state Department of Family and Protective Services said interviews and journal entries suggested that boys may have been sexually abused....The Associated Press: Texas officials looking at possible abuse among FLDS boys