- March 6, 2026
A Palm Coast woman is being detained pending an aggravated manslaughter charge after giving birth to a baby in her toilet and watching her newborn die.
Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, buried her baby’s body in a shallow grave in the backyard of her home on Florida Park Drive, according to a statement from Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Joseph Barile in a March 6 press conference. Demegillo told FCSO deputies she did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth to a baby girl in the toilet.
The baby weighed just 3 pounds, 6 ounces and was 18.7 inches long, Barile said. In her statement, Demegillo said the baby was crying initially but she walked away, leaving the infant in the toilet.
“It appears she watched the baby die,” Barile said.
The FCSO has been investigating a death at a residence on Florida Park Drive since 4 a.m. on March 6, after the FCSO received a call for a welfare check at the home. According to the timeline of events the FCSO has been able to establish so far, Demegillo gave birth in the toilet in the middle of the night on March 5.
After the baby died, Demegillo wrapped the infant in a towel and hid the body in a duffle bag in her closet. Demegillo then “went about her day,” Barile said. She attended her classes at Daytona State College and, according to a FCSO press release, attended a theatre performance in New Smyrna Beach.
She returned home around 10 p.m. on March 5. Barile said Demegillo then buried the baby in a corner of her backyard under just 4-5 inches of dirt, an estimated 24 hours after she gave birth.
According to Demegillo’s statement, she did not know she was pregnant, and no one knew about the baby, not even the father. She messaged one person and told them she had given birth, Barile said, and that person called in the welfare check.
Demegillo’s mother was at the home at the time the suspect gave birth. Barile said the FCSO still needs to interview Demegillo’s father and the person who called in the welfare check.
Demegillo was detained early on March 6, and will be facing an aggravated manslaughter charge of a child through a probable cause affidavit. Barile said he expects Demegillo will be arrested under that charge sometime in the evening on March 6.
As of the press conference at 4 p.m., Demegillo was still being interviewed by FCSO detectives.
When asked if the 20-year-old showed any sign of remorse for her actions, Barile said she had not shown any signs of remorse but knew her actions were wrong. He described her as “oddly calm.”
In a statement in the press release, Staly said this 'is a heartbreaking tragedy" for the community and the FCSO team.
“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," Staly said. "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."
Under Florida’s Safe Haven Law, parents who cannot care for a newborn may safely surrender the child at any fire station, hospital or police station, the press release said. 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. Parents can quietly and safely place their newborn inside the secure, climate-controlled box without having to interact with anyone face-to-face.
Demegillo has no prior history that the FCSO is aware of, Barile said. The incident is still under investigation.
