An Alabama woman has been arrested after a toddler girl was discovered deceased inside a hearse Saturday, unbeknownst to the funeral home.

Early on Sunday, shortly before 2 a.m., officers from the Gadsden Police Department apprehended 29-year-old Terrica Pearl and took her to the Etowah County Jail, charging her with murder.

The arrest happened after a toddler was found at the West Gadsden Funeral Home, on Forrest Avenue in Gadsden.

According to Dantez Robinson, the funeral home director, the body of the toddler—initially mistaken as a doll by the workers—was located when the groundskeeper moved the hearse, as reported by WBRC.

WVTM reported that Robinson stated that before they moved the hearse, it had been parked Friday night, unlocked, and without a child inside.

“This was a tough case for everybody involved,” Mayor Craig Ford said, according to WAAY 31.

“I’m proud of the way our police department pursued the truth and achieved results. The arrest doesn’t eliminate the pain, but it brings us one step closer to justice for this child.”

An autopsy is scheduled to identify the toddler’s cause of death.

Anyone with additional information about the case should contact the Gadsden Police Department at 256-549-4500.

The story is developing. Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo: Shutterstock]