FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A young woman from Florida faces serious charges after authorities claimed she deliberately ended her newborn’s life shortly after childbirth, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office revealed on Friday.

Anne Mae Demegillo, aged 20, has been formally charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

In the early hours of March 6, at approximately 4 a.m., the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported receiving a call to check on Demegillo’s welfare.

The caller informed dispatchers that Demegillo had sent messages revealing that she had been secretly pregnant and had unexpectedly given birth at her residence. One message alarmingly suggested that although the newborn was alive and crying, Demegillo had “done something” to harm the infant, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Officers visiting Demegillo’s home for the welfare check found her and reported that she claimed uncertainty about her pregnancy. She recounted experiencing intense abdominal pain around 3 a.m. on March 5, ultimately leading to the birth of her child in the bathroom toilet.

The sheriff’s office said Demegillo claimed she thought her baby was deceased, so she hid it in a duffle bag in her closet and “went about her normal daily routine.”

When Demegillo later returned home, deputies said she decided to bury the child, who was deceased, in a shallow grave in her backyard.

“At no point did Demegillo contact emergency services for assistance,” FCSO said.

Following an investigation by FCSO’s Major Case Unit and Crime Scene Investigation, detectives determined that Demegillo “knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet,” according to FCSO.

Demegillo was then arrested and booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. According to jail records, she is being held without bond as of Saturday, March 7. FCSO said the investigation into the incident is active and ongoing. Anyone with information on it is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 386-313-4911.

“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, but most importantly the infant who was prevented from the life they deserve. May God bless this infant and hold and comfort the baby in his loving hands with the love the baby never received on earth.”

Under Florida’s Safe Haven Law, parents who cannot care for a newborn baby may surrender the child at any fire station, hospital or police station. Palm Coast’s Safe Haven Baby Box allows for complete anonymity and is located at Fire Station 25, which was activated on Sept. 30, 2025, FCSO said. Parents can place their newborn inside a secure, climate-controlled box without having to interact with anyone face-to-face.