Antwan "AJ" Hope, Jr. was four when he died over 11 years ago in Broward County. His maternal grandmother, Shaunte Rivers, and his paternal grandmother, Sharon Walker, both reported his mother, Destene Simmons, had tried to smother him with a pillow years before he died.
Rivers reported Simmons had suffered from schizophrenia and depression. Simmons, now 34, was at the Broward main jail Saturday in Fort Lauderdale facing charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. Broward Sheriff's Office deputies arrested her Friday.
Simmons appeared before Circuit Judge Joseph Murphy III. Attorney Devika Carr, a public defender, asked Murphy for a mental health order. Murphy ordered a screening. Assistant State Attorney David Steinberg asked about her defense. Murphy appointed a public defender.
"The court at this time advises the defendant that you are not supposed to speak to anyone about this case without the presence of your attorney," Murphy told Simmons in court.
Simmons's court appearance on Saturday lasted about a minute and 12 seconds. Local 10 News reported extensively on Antwan's death in 2013.
