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A student from Florida, Anne Mae Demegillo, is accused of giving birth to a baby girl and subsequently allowing the newborn to drown in a toilet before burying her in the backyard.
“She admitted she was hoping the baby would die quickly,” revealed Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly during a press conference on March 9. “This is probably one of the most tragic cases I’ve encountered in my 51-year career.”
Preliminary investigations indicate that the infant’s cause of death was drowning.
Sheriff Staly further noted, “The baby had an abrasion on her head, likely due to the birth process and the baby falling into the toilet, hitting her head.”
On March 6, Demegillo was formally charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility located in Bunnell.
Earlier that day, police responded to a welfare check at the 20-year-old’s home, after learning that Demegillo allegedly messaged someone that she had been secretly pregnant and gave birth at home then did “something” to the baby, according to a press release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
When Demegillo answered the door, she was hesitant to speak to police, Chief Deputy Joe Barile said in an earlier press conference, but ultimately confirmed the pregnancy and birth.
Demegillo told police she didn’t realize she was pregnant until the birth, having mistaken abdominal pain for menstrual cramps. Staley said in the press conference that police don’t necessarily believe that Demegillo was unaware of her pregnancy.
After hours of pain, according to a charging affidavit viewed by Oxygen, Demegillo sat on the toilet, and pushed.
“She reported watching the infant moving inside the toilet…hearing it cry, and waiting until it stopped moving and crying,” read the affidavit. “She stated that after she believed the infant was no longer alive, she removed the body using a towel, placed it in a duffel bag, and stored it in her bedroom closet. She then went to school and later participated in a play. Upon returning home that evening, she buried the infant in a shallow grave in the backyard.”
Staley said in the press conference that Demegillo spent time cleaning the bathroom while the baby was dying.
Demegillo’s demeanor was “oddly calm” during questioning, Barile said in the press conference, noting that while he “I didn’t see any remorse,” she did acknowledge her actions were wrong.
Later, Demegillo led police to a shallow grave in her backyard, per the affidavit, and provided the shovel she used to dig. The bag containing the infant was buried under four or five inches of dirt, Barille said at the press conference.
“At no point did Demegillo contact emergency services for assistance,” read the press release. “Detectives determined that Demegillo knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet.”
Demegillo allegedly told police that the father of the child was not aware of her pregnancy nor was her mother, who was at home with her at the time of the birth. Staley said in the press conference that Demegillo may have hid her pregnancy from her family.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our community, for the family involved, and an emotionally difficult case for our team,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the press release, citing Florida’s Safe Haven Law. “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, but most importantly the infant who was prevented from the life they deserve.”
Demegillo is scheduled to appear in court for a motion hearing on March 12, followed by an arraignment on April 7. An attorney for Demegillo did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Oxygen.