Tamarac, Florida – Troubling signs preceded the tragic shooting of a 3-year-old girl over the weekend at an extended-stay hotel in Tamarac, according to neighbors. The incident occurred at the Extended Stay America hotel located on West Commercial Blvd. Sources reveal that De’Yonnie Cleveland was killed on Saturday morning around 8:15 a.m.
Witnesses from the hotel have come forward, stating that the young girl had been subjected to ongoing abuse from her parent or guardian. “Every morning I wake up, she is always beating this baby,” said one neighbor anonymously. They expressed concern for the child’s welfare, with the neighbor’s child even contemplating reporting the situation to Child Protective Services (CPS). Tragically, the child did not survive long enough for any intervention to occur.
No details have been released about the events that led up to the fatal shooting that took place in room 206, nor have they identified any suspects or persons of interest. However, the neighbor’s son believes foul play was involved. When the reporter from Local 10 News asked if it was possible the child had come across a gun, he refuted the notion, highlighting the child’s limited motor skills. “Her hands were too little to even grip the ice cream; how could that itty bitty baby hold a gun if she couldn’t even hold a little bitty ice cream cone?”
The tragedy of the little girl’s death has left the neighbor’s son devastated. He described her as a child in need of love, sharing that she often reached out to him. Despite the attempts to detain persons of interest, the Broward Sheriff’s Office has not made any arrests in connection with the shooting.
Authorities continue their investigation into the incident to uncover the circumstances leading to the girl’s untimely death. The local community mourns the loss of a vibrant and innocent life, now left demanding answers.