An 8-year-old girl was treated at two medical centers after deputies said she described repeated abuse at home.
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — Medical findings from two Broward County hospitals are central to a felony child abuse case against a Deerfield Beach woman accused of injuring her 8-year-old stepdaughter through repeated punishments, authorities said.
Melirose Joncky, 42, was arrested April 9 after a school counselor reported that the child arrived at school with black eyes, scratches, dried blood near her ears and an injury that required a cast. Deputies said the girl was taken from the school setting into medical care, first at Coral Springs Medical Center and then at Broward Health Medical Center. Doctors found fractures, scalp injuries and marks that investigators said matched parts of the child’s account. Joncky faces aggravated child abuse and neglect with great bodily harm.
The hospital findings outlined a broader injury pattern than the one visible at school. According to the arrest report, doctors found fractured ribs, fractures to an arm and feet, scalp hematomas, neck swelling and a large contusion on the forehead. A forensic medical exam also found ligature marks that investigators said were consistent with a phone cord. The medical record did not stand alone. Deputies matched those findings with statements from the child, who said phone chargers had been used to hit her and caused cuts across her body.
The child’s account to investigators described several forms of alleged abuse. She said Joncky pushed her to the floor, dragged her by the feet and forced her onto her stomach on April 8. While she was on the ground, the child said, Joncky stood on her back and jumped. The girl also said Joncky grabbed the back of her head and slammed it into the floor. Investigators connected that statement to the abrasion and contusion on the forehead, though the full medical history of each injury has not been released.
Deputies said the girl also described being choked until she could not breathe. She told investigators that Joncky used kitchen objects, including a pot and a knife, to strike her head. The report says the girl identified phone chargers as the source of cuts on her arms, legs, back and face. The child also said Joncky forced hot sauce and salt into her mouth as punishment. Investigators wrote that she said hot sauce was poured onto injuries. Authorities have not said whether all alleged incidents happened in the same home or over what exact period.
The case came to light only after the girl’s condition was seen at school. The arrest report says the counselor contacted the Broward Sheriff’s Office after observing two black eyes, a large forehead injury, blood near the ears and scratches on the arms and neck. The child had an arm in a cast, and deputies said she linked that injury to Joncky as well. The counselor’s report became the entry point for both the criminal investigation and the medical review, showing how the case shifted from visible concern to documented injury.
Authorities said the forensic exam found marks near the child’s genital area. The girl told detectives Joncky scratched her in that area and poured hot sauce on injuries, according to the report. Public reports also said the child was later placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families. Another minor child from the same home was reported to have been taken into state custody. Officials have not released details about the other child or the long-term placement plan for either minor.
Joncky denied physically abusing the child when questioned by deputies, according to the arrest report. Investigators said she attributed the injuries to acne and told them the black eyes happened when the girl ran into a wall. The explanation did not stop the arrest. Deputies booked Joncky on the two felony counts, and jail records later listed both charges as pending trial. The public record shows an April 9 arrest date, the arresting agency as Deerfield Beach and Joncky’s listed location as the North Broward Bureau.
The courtroom review focused on the severity of the allegations and the safety of the child. Joncky appeared at her first hearing with a Haitian Creole translator. Prosecutors asked that she be kept in custody. Her attorney asked the judge to set bond, saying Joncky denied the accusations and was innocent. The judge ordered her held without bond and said the report raised serious concern for the victim. “I’ve never read anything like this,” the judge said during the hearing.
The jail record and the court discussion show the case is still at an early stage. Public jail entries list aggravated child abuse and neglect child with great bodily harm as pending trial. One public entry shows no bond for the aggravated child abuse charge and a bond amount for the neglect charge, while the first appearance ruling described Joncky as held without bond. Such records may be updated as formal filings, hearings and bond decisions develop. No conviction has been entered.
Investigators have not publicly released body camera footage, full medical charts or a complete case file. They also have not said whether they are seeking additional witnesses from the home, school or medical system. The evidence described so far includes the counselor’s observations, the child’s interview, hospital findings and Joncky’s statements to deputies. The girl’s name has not been released because she is a child and an alleged victim.
The case remains pending in Broward County, with prosecutors expected to review the arrest report and medical findings as the court process continues. No next court date was included in the first public reports. Joncky remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Author note: Last updated May 6, 2026.