Sheriff’s detectives say the crash followed reports of car break-ins just before 4 a.m.
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — Broward sheriff’s detectives on Wednesday named two men who died and a third who survived after an SUV left a neighborhood street and went into a lake before sunrise Tuesday following reports of car burglaries.
The incident began in the Deer Creek area, where residents reported people pulling on door handles and rifling through cars. Deputies headed to the 700 block of Deer Creek Emerald Way West around 4 a.m. Investigators said the suspects drove off in an SUV as patrol units arrived. The vehicle later entered a nearby lake off Lakeside Way and Lakeside Drive. Divers recovered two bodies from the water, and a third person made it out alive and was detained. The crash set off parallel investigations into both the burglaries and the fatal plunge.
Officials identified the survivor as 21-year-old Pledidson Jeansam Philibert, who now faces five burglary counts and three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary. The deceased were identified as 22-year-old Weekenley Felix and 20-year-old Ashly Rosier. BSO spokesperson Carey Codd said deputies discovered “multiple people had been burglarizing unoccupied vehicles” in the community before the SUV left the area. Home security video reviewed by reporters shows a man running between driveways, ducking beside a parked car, then moving off as sirens near.
From the first call to the water rescue, minutes elapsed. Dispatch audio captured a deputy describing two people as 40 to 50 feet from the bank, sinking with the SUV. First responders pulled a perimeter around the lake as divers went in and a tow truck later raised the vehicle. The shoreline showed fresh tire marks and churned grass where the SUV cut toward the water. It was not immediately clear whether the lake’s edge had guardrails or curbing that could have slowed the vehicle’s descent.
Detectives have not said who was driving at the moment of impact or whether deputies attempted a traffic stop or followed the SUV after the initial call. The medical examiner will determine the causes of death. Investigators are collecting doorbell videos, logging evidence from the SUV, and mapping the route from the Deer Creek address to the lake. Results from those steps, along with any body-worn camera reviews, will help determine whether additional charges are filed.
The neighborhood around the lake is a mix of townhomes and single-family houses bordered by retention ponds and canals. Residents described quiet streets at night but said car break-ins have prompted more people to lock vehicles and check cameras when dogs bark. A woman walking her dog midmorning paused to watch the recovery operation and said she had “never seen so many lights here at once.” Another resident, who asked not to be named, said the water rescue teams worked for hours as neighbors waited for updates.
As of Thursday, Philibert remained in custody on the burglary and conspiracy counts while detectives prepared reports for prosecutors. No memorials or vigils had been announced. Officials said updates would follow as autopsy results and crash reconstruction findings become available.
Author note: Last updated January 30, 2026.