Two young men died in the water; a 21-year-old survivor faces burglary and conspiracy counts.
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — The Broward Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday released the names of two men who died and a third who survived when an SUV went into a Deerfield Beach lake early Tuesday, a crash investigators linked to a series of reported car break-ins minutes earlier.
BSO identified the survivor as Pledidson Jeansam Philibert, 21. Detectives said Philibert was arrested on five counts of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary. The men who died were identified as Weekenley Felix, 22, and Ashly Rosier, 20. Deputies first responded to the 700 block of Deer Creek Emerald Way West shortly before 4 a.m. on Jan. 27, after callers reported people burglarizing vehicles. As patrol units arrived, the suspects left the area in an SUV that later entered a lake near Lakeside Way and Lakeside Drive.
Divers pulled Felix and Rosier from the water Tuesday as investigators photographed tire tracks in wet grass and logged debris along the shoreline. A tow truck raised the SUV after hours of work. “After deputies arrived, at some point, the driver of the suspect vehicle fled the area and crashed into a lake,” BSO spokesperson Carey Codd said. Dispatch audio captured a deputy describing two people about 40 to 50 feet from the bank who “just went down with the vehicle” and did not resurface.
Detectives have not publicly identified the driver. It remains unclear whether deputies tried to stop the SUV before it reached the lake or whether a pursuit occurred. Investigators said they are gathering home surveillance video from the Deer Creek neighborhood, reviewing any patrol car or body-worn camera footage, and coordinating with the medical examiner for autopsy results to determine the causes of death for Felix and Rosier.
The crash site sits amid a network of retention ponds common in Broward County subdivisions. Residents said the streets are usually quiet overnight but that vehicle break-ins have been a worry. One neighbor who woke to sirens said seeing divers’ lights sweep the water “felt unreal” against the stillness of the cul-de-sac. Others watched from porches as deputies set a perimeter and investigators measured the scene through the morning.
Philibert remained in custody as of Thursday while detectives prepared case files for prosecutors. Officials did not announce any memorial plans and said updates would follow after accident reconstruction is complete and the medical examiner releases findings. No additional arrests had been reported.
Author note: Last updated January 30, 2026.