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In a shocking turn of events, a 20-year-old college student from Florida was taken into custody after authorities discovered the remains of her newborn baby in a shallow grave behind her residence.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported that they received a 911 call around 4 a.m., prompting a welfare check on Anne Mae Demegillo, a resident of Palm Coast. The call came after a concerned individual received distressing messages from Demegillo, revealing she had been secretly pregnant and unexpectedly delivered the baby at home.
According to the sheriff’s office, the messages implied that the newborn was alive and crying at birth, but Demegillo allegedly took actions that led to the baby’s demise.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies encountered Demegillo, who claimed she was uncertain about her pregnancy until she experienced intense abdominal pain early Thursday morning, resulting in the baby being born in the bathroom toilet.
Demegillo recounted that while the newborn initially cried, the cries soon ceased, leading to the tragic discovery that followed.
She told deputies to put in the newborn in a duffel bag in her closet “and went about her normal daily routine,” which on Thursday night included a theater performance in New Smyrna Beach. When she came home, she said, she decided to bury the infant in the backyard.
Demegillo never contacted emergency services, and detectives determined that she “knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet.”
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our community, for the family involved, and an emotionally difficult case for our team,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I want to remind our community, especially our expectant mothers: Florida law allows you to bring a child at birth to a local fire station, hospital or law enforcement agency and surrender the child. That is a much better solution than what we are investigating today — for everyone involved.”
Investigators said the baby girl weighed nearly 3 1/2 pounds and measured 19 inches long, WKMG reported. They believe Demegillo’s mother, who lived at the home, did not know she was pregnant. The baby’s father’s whereabouts are unknown.
Demegillo has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.