Latest news with #FortPierce
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Fort Pierce mom charged in death of 6-year-old son after alleged exorcism, officials say
A mother in Fort Pierce is facing a second-degree murder charge after her son died in her care, officials said. The Saint Lucie County Sheriff's Office said Rhonda Polynice, 41, believed God told her to exorcise the demons out of her 6-year-old child. According to the sheriff's office, deputies were called to conduct a welfare check at a home after the child was absent from school for two weeks. When deputies arrived, they were met by Polynice. Deputies said Polynice took them to her son's room, where they said they found the child lying dead on his bed. "She believed she was exorcising demons out of the child's body," Saint Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro said. "And when the child had stopped moving and basically passed away," those demons were released. The sheriff's office said in addition to second-degree murder, Polynice was also charged with failure to report a death and altering the body. She is being held without bond.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police Find 6-Year-Old Boy Dead in His Bedroom. His Mom Says She Was Trying to ‘Exorcise Demons Out of' His Body
A mother was arrested and charged with the murder of her 6-year-old son, Ra'myl Pierre, after a deputy found his body during a welfare check at their Fort Pierce, Fla., home on May 30 Rhonda Paulynice told detectives that "she believes she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child's body," according to St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro Prior to his tragic death, Pierre "just lit the room up, and was loved by everybody," Del Toro saidA Florida woman charged with the death of her 6-year-old son allegedly told police she was trying to "exorcise demons out of' his body. A deputy responded to the Fort Pierce, Fla., home of Rhonda Paulynice and her son, Ra'myl Pierre, at around 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, May 30, to conduct a welfare check, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said. The 6-year-old, a student at Samuel Gaines Academy, had not attended class in more than two weeks, and a school resource deputy was concerned. Upon arrival, Paulynice, 41, was in the driveway. She proceeded to escort the deputy into the home, where the child was 'discovered deceased, lying on his bed,' Sheriff Richard Del Toro said in a press conference. Investigators believe the child died on May 18, but an autopsy will provide more information, Del Toro said. Due to the amount of time his body was left on the bed, medical examiners could not determine the manner of death at the scene. May 18 was also the last day that Paulynice spoke to her son, detectives learned. According to Del Toro, Paulynice — who is the main suspect in the investigation — told detectives that she had attempted an exorcism on the 6-year-old, the exact details of which are not known. 'What we did learn in speaking with the mother is she believes she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child's body,' the sheriff told reporters. 'And when the child had stopped moving and basically passed away, at that point she felt that the child had been released from those demons, and was waiting for him to basically come back, at that time.' Del Toro also said that the 41-year-old mother exhibited 'a lot of highs and lows during the investigation, from laughing at different times at the scene to crying.' Paulynice was arrested and booked into jail on May 30. She was charged with second-degree murder, as well as failure to report a death and willfully touching or moving the body, clothing or any article upon or near the body, according to jail records. She is currently being held on a $150,000 bond. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Prior to the discovery of the child's body, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office responded to the Fort Pierce residence before for 'domestic issues' involving Paulynice and her sister, Del Toro said, but none involving the mother and son. Most recently, officials reported to the home on May 17 due to a 'medical issue' of Paulynice's, the sheriff added. The following day, which is when detectives believe she killed her son, Paulynice shared an inspirational religious post on social media. She shared several similar posts in the days that followed, the most recent on May 29. Her final post featuring a photo of Pierre was dated Dec. 8, 2024. While expressing condolences for Pierre's family, classmates and teachers, Del Toro offered some insight into what the 6-year-old was like prior to his tragic death. "From what I understand, this kid just lit the room up, and was loved by everybody," he said. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Two men arrested after narcotics raid finds drugs, high-powered rifles in St. Lucie County
FORT PIERCE — Two men have been arrested after drugs and high-powered rifles were found during a narcotics raid, according to St. Lucie County sheriff's officials. Jesus Pozos Pozos, 22, and Jordan Lewis, 20, were arrested May 30 and charged with trafficking cocaine, manufacturing or selling cocaine, possession of over 20 grams of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to officials. Pozos Pozos also was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sheriff's detectives and the sheriff's SWAT team executed a narcotics-related search warrant May 30 in the 700 block of Skylark Drive in Fort Pierce, according to officials. It was part of an ongoing investigation into suspected drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Child death: Autopsy expected to confirm how 6-year-old boy died in St. Lucie County home During the search, detectives found the following guns and drugs: Diamondback .556 rifle equipped with a scope and laser Draco-style AK-47 (7.62 caliber) Multiple magazines for both rifles and a substantial quantity of ammunition About half a kilogram of powdered cocaine About 1 ounce of crack cocaine (one 'cookie' still present in a glass beaker) 437 grams of marijuana 79 Xanax bars 4 oxycodone pills Various items of drug paraphernalia Both Pozos Pozos and Lewis remained at the St. Lucie County Jail on Saturday, according to a jail official. Pozos Pozos was being held without bail after his first appearance, and Lewis was being held on $340,000 bail. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Narcotics raid finds drugs, rifles in Fort Pierce, two men arrested
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Florida mother of dead 6-year-old was trying to ‘exorcise demons': sheriff
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (WFLA) — The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said a 6-year-old was found dead in his bedroom, and his mother was trying to 'exorcise demons' from him. School resource deputies requested a welfare check on Friday for the boy, Ra'myl Pierre, after he had been missing from school for two weeks. A deputy went to the Fort Pierce home that morning and met the boy's mother, 31-year-old Rhonda Paulynice, who led the deputy into the bedroom where he found the boy dead in his bed. St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro said the child's cause of death was not immediately apparent and that an autopsy was scheduled for Saturday. While interviewing Paulynice, detectives learned that she had last spoken to the child on May 18, which is when they believe the homicide occurred, the sheriff said. He had been missing from school since May 14. Deputies had been at the home for a medical issue the mother was having just a day before they believe the boy was killed, on May 17. 'What we did learn in speaking with the mother is she believes she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child's body,' Sheriff Del Toro said. She has been charged with second-degree murder, failure to report a death and altering a body. Del Toro said that the mother told investigators that when the child stopped moving, she believed he had been freed of the demons, and she was waiting for him to 'come back.' No one else was living in the home at the time. 'From what I understand, this kid just lit the room up and was loved by everybody,' the sheriff said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Child death: Autopsy expected to confirm how 6-year-old boy died in St. Lucie County home
An autopsy being performed Saturday is expected to determine how a 6-year-old boy died, according to St. Lucie County sheriff's officials. His mother, 41-year-old Rhonda Paulynice, has been charged with second-degree murder, failure to report a death and willfully touching or moving the body, according to an arrest report. She remained in the St. Lucie County Jail without bail after her first appearance in court Saturday morning, said sheriff's Lt. Andrew Bolonka. The Medical Examiner's Office was performing an autopsy on the boy, Ra'Myl Pierre, on Saturday to determine his cause and manner of death, Bolonka said. Deputies went to their home in the 2500 block of Bedford Drive, near North 25th Street and Juanita Avenue in Fort Pierce, at about 10:30 a.m. May 30 to perform a welfare check, according to officials. The check was requested by a school resource officer after the boy hadn't been to school at Samuel Gaines Academy since May 14. They arrived and found a woman later confirmed to be Paulynice walking from the front of the home toward the sidewalk area near the road, according to the report. Deputies asked where the boy was, and she told them he was inside the house. Paulynice got her house keys from inside her hair covering and opened the door, according to the report. Deputies noted she was behaving 'oddly,' wouldn't take off her sunglasses and appeared indifferent to their presence. She pointed them toward a room when asked where the boy was, according to the report. Deputies found the boy on the bed, deceased and wrapped in fabric with only his face exposed. Because of how he was wrapped, deputies couldn't see whether there were any signs of trauma. Detectives arrived about 12:30 p.m. and determined the boy could have been dead for several days based on noticeable decomposition. Paulynice didn't make any statements while they executed a search warrant at the home. Before the boy's body was taken away, Paulynice was allowed to say 'goodbye,' according to the report. Although she appeared distraught, detectives noted, it didn't appear sincere. They then interviewed her at the sheriff's office, Sheriff Richard Del Toro said during a news conference later that night. Detectives learned Paulynice last spoke to the boy May 18, and that's when they believe the homicide occurred. 'What we did learn in speaking with the mother is she believes she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child's body,' Del Toro said. 'When the child had stopped moving and basically passed away at that point, she felt the child had been released of those demons and was waiting for him to basically come back.' Del Toro said Paulynice 'had a lot of highs and lows during the investigation, from laughing at different times at the scene to crying.' Detectives have an idea of how she killed her son based on her confession, Del Toro said. However, they're waiting for autopsy results to corroborate. Sheriff's officials went to the same house May 17, the day before they believe the boy died, for a medical issue Paulynice was having, Del Toro said. Officials had been to the home previously. 'There have been some domestic issues in the past, all the way back to January, involving the mother and a sister who once lived at the home,' Del Toro said, 'but nothing involving the child that would lead us to where we're at today.' Breaking news reporter Will Greenlee contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Autopsy expected to show how 6-year-old boy died in Fort Pierce home
