Neighbors witnessed Riverview man's deadly attack on family

RIVERVIEW (FOX 13) - A Riverview father accused of going on a violent rampage that killed his 11-year-old daughter, seriously injured his 9-year-old son, and killed the mother of his children, made his first court appearance Tuesday.

Ronnie O'Neal III, 29, barely reacted as the judge read his charges: two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and arson.

According to newly-released court documents, the latter of those charges left O'Neal's arm badly burned and heavily bandaged.

A motion filed Tuesday indicates several neighbors told Hillsborough County detectives they either saw or heard O'Neal murder Kenyatta Barron, 33, the mother of his children.

Two neighbors described to FOX 13 the sound of the gunshot.

"All of a sudden I heard a loud bang. I mean, it was so loud it scared me," said Carol Pietraniello, who lives in the house behind Barron's.

"It sounded like a crash," added David Huber, who lives next door to Barron.

Barron's body was found just outside the front door of the house on the other side of her home. The people there said they heard O'Neal shouting, "Allah Akbar" repeatedly, which a dispatcher also heard when Barron called 911, pleading for help.

Minutes after Barron's call disconnected, O'Neal called 911 and told a dispatcher he'd been attacked by "white demons" and, "she tried to [expletive] kill me and I just killed her."

O'Neal is also accused of brutally killing his 11-year-old daughter, Ron'Neiva, who had been stabbed multiple times and trying to stab his 9-year-old son to death. Deputies said he then tried to burn down his house.

Family members stopped by the home today. The declined to do an interview but said the little boy is "strong" and expected to pull through.