A Florida college student has been arrested following allegations that she watched her newborn drown after unexpectedly giving birth in a toilet. According to police sources, the student’s phone contained images of Casey Anthony, the infamous figure often referred to as “America’s most hated mom.” Anthony was acquitted in 2011 of charges related to the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, a case that remains unresolved.
Anne Mae Demegillo, aged 20, found herself facing serious charges after a grand jury indictment. On Monday, she was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and failing to report a death with the intention of concealing the death or altering the surrounding evidence, as reported by FOX 13.
Initially, Demegillo’s arrest took place in March, with charges linked to the aggravated manslaughter of her newborn daughter. This information was released in a statement by the State Attorney for Florida’s 7th Circuit.
Authorities have accused Demegillo of giving birth in the bathroom of her home and subsequently allowing the infant to drown while she focused on cleaning up the blood. This chilling accusation paints a grim picture of the events that allegedly unfolded.
The evidence, including the photos of Casey Anthony found on Demegillo’s phone, has added a disturbing layer to the already tragic situation, drawing unsettling parallels between the two cases.
Prosecutors allege Demegillo gave birth on a toilet inside her home and allowed the baby to drown while she cleaned up the blood.
Demegillo reportedly claimed she did not know she was pregnant when she delivered the child.
Immediately after the child was born, Demegillo allegedly hid the baby inside a duffle bag in her closet and “went about her normal daily routine,” the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said in a previous statement.
Demegillo returned later in the day to bury the remains in a shallow grave, authorities allege.
Anne Mae Demegillo is accused of allowing her newborn baby to drown after unexpectedly giving birth on a toilet inside her home in Flagler County, Fla., on March 5, 2026. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)
Following a monthlong investigation, authorities said Demegillo had searched “newborn premature babies,” “Palm Coast OBGYN” and “foods to decrease fertility,” according to the sheriff’s office.
“This is one of those tragic cases that shock you to your core that a mother would allow a newborn to die because the newborn was a distraction to her life,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “It’s hard to comprehend how a mother would choose to watch their infant drown instead of lifting the baby out of the toilet.”
Casey Anthony was found guilty of lying to law enforcement officers but not guilty of murder charges. (Joe Burbank/Getty Images)
Authorities were initially called to Demegillo’s home on March 6 regarding a request for a welfare check on an adult female later identified as Demegillo, authorities said.
The caller told dispatchers that they had received messages from Demegillo indicating she had secretly been pregnant and unexpectedly delivered the child at home, according to police.
The messages allegedly revealed the baby was “born alive and crying, but Demegillo had done something to the infant,” authorities added.
Upon speaking with Demegillo, she allegedly told officers she was “not sure she was pregnant but began experiencing severe abdominal pain,” in the early hours of March 5, and later delivered the child in her bathroom toilet, police said.
Authorities added that although she allegedly claimed she believed the child was dead, “detectives determined that Demegillo knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet.”
Demegillo later turned herself into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held without bond.
In a court appearance last month, Demegillo’s attorney argued the child’s death was an “isolated episode” and that she should not be held in jail because she does not have any prior convictions or violent history, according to FOX 35.
“I don’t know how long she will survive,” defense attorney Michael Politis said. “It’s not necessary to incarcerate her.”
The State Attorney for Florida’s 7th Circuit and Demegillo’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
