A Florida college student has been taken into custody following the grim discovery of her newborn baby buried in a shallow grave behind her residence. The arrest was made on Friday, involving 20-year-old Anne Mae Demegillo from Palm Coast.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the incident came to light after a 911 call was made around 4 a.m., requesting a welfare check on Demegillo. The caller reported receiving alarming messages from Demegillo, revealing that she had secretly carried a pregnancy to term and unexpectedly given birth at home.
The sheriff’s office stated that the messages indicated the baby was born alive and crying, but Demegillo allegedly took some action against the infant.
Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement officers spoke with Demegillo. She recounted that she was unsure of her pregnancy but experienced intense abdominal pain early Thursday morning, resulting in childbirth in the bathroom toilet.
She mentioned that the newborn initially cried but then fell silent. Subsequently, Demegillo placed the infant in a duffel bag stored in her closet, continuing with her usual activities. This routine included attending a theater performance in New Smyrna Beach that Thursday night. Upon returning home, she decided to bury the baby in the backyard.
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.
