Woman Charged In Deadly Deerfield Attack Arraigned

FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A woman was charged in a deadly hostage standoff in Deerfield Beach last February was arraigned Monday morning.

During her appearance, 37-year old Deanna DeJesus pled not guilty to the charges of aggravated manslaughter and child neglect.

According to investigators, the DeJesus family drove from their home in Port Orange to the Highland Woods RV Park in Deerfield Beach. The family went to an RV that belonged to Ovila Plante, 76, and his girlfriend, Pierrete Beauchemin.

According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, William DeJesus, 41, who was an Oxycodone addict and had cocaine in his system, shot Plante to death in front of his RV and then took Beauchemin hostage. After she realized DeJesus was going to kill his family and then kill her, Beauchemin escaped.

According to BSO, DeJesus stabbed his son Jeshiah, 9, and his other son Samson, 7, multiple times in the attack that lasted several minutes. Jeshiah died of his injuries while Samson and Deanna were both critically injured.  William was found dead in his RV by a police SWAT team.

The Broward County Medical Examiner said that Jeshiah DeJesus and William both had cocaine in their systems when they died.

Deanna told a witness that she knew her husband sometimes crushed drugs and gave it to their sons, according to the BSO. Investigators believe DeJesus drove to South Florida to obtain drugs.