A 20-year-old Florida woman faces charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child after allegedly giving birth in a toilet and watching her newborn daughter drown. Authorities say she then hid the body and continued with her day, including a theater performance, before burying the infant in a shallow grave. The incident has prompted reminders about Florida's safe surrender laws for newborns.
Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, of Flagler County, Florida, is accused of aggravated manslaughter of a child following the death of her newborn daughter. According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a welfare check at her home around 4 a.m. on a Friday after a 911 caller reported messages from Demegillo indicating she had unexpectedly given birth there. The caller told dispatchers that the baby had been born alive and crying, but that Demegillo had "done something to the infant."
Demegillo told investigators she was unsure she was pregnant and experienced severe abdominal pain around 3 a.m. She said she delivered the baby into the toilet and believed it was already dead. However, detectives determined the infant was alive at birth, and Demegillo allegedly watched as the girl drowned in the toilet water. The baby, who weighed about 3 pounds and 6 ounces and measured around 18 inches long, was then placed in a duffel bag and hidden in a closet.
Instead of seeking help, Demegillo went to a theater in New Smyrna Beach, where she performed the role of "Virtue" in the play "Anything Goes." Upon returning home, she wrapped the infant in a blanket and buried her in a shallow grave, 4 to 5 inches deep, in the backyard. At no point did she contact emergency services.
Chief Deputy Joseph Barile described Demegillo's demeanor during her interview as "oddly calm," adding, "I watched some of the interview and I didn't see any remorse."
Sheriff Rick Staly called the case a "heartbreaking tragedy for our community, for the family involved, and an emotionally difficult case for our team." He emphasized Florida's safe surrender law, which allows parents to drop off newborns at fire stations, hospitals, or law enforcement agencies without questions. "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," Staly said.