- March 9, 2026
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly has confirmed that a 20-year-old Palm Coast woman stayed in the bathroom as he newborn baby girl drowned in the toilet.
“Its just a very, very tragic, and, frankly, sad case,” Staly said. “Frankly, its one of the saddest cases I’ve seen in my entire career.”
Anne Mae Demegillo, of Florida Park Drive, was arrested on March 6 on an aggravated manslaughter charge after the body of her newborn baby was discovered in a shallow grave in her backyard. Demegillo told deputies she gave birth to the baby on the toilet in the early hours of March 5.
A preliminary report from the medical examiner states the infant was born alive and drowned, Staly said.
"We know she spent the time cleaning up the bathroom while the baby was dying,” he said. He said Demegillo told Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies that she wished "the baby would hurry up and die."
Demegillo will be arraigned on March 9. The State Attorney's Office filed a motion on March 9 that Demegillo be held instead of being allowed out on bail.
'SHE CLEARLY KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING'
The FCSO began investigating a death at a residence on Florida Park Drive at 4 a.m. on March 6, after the FCSO received an anonymous call for a welfare check at the home.
According to a timeline established by the FCSO, after the baby died on March 5, Demegillo wrapped the infant in a towel and hid the body in a duffle bag in her closet.
Demegillo then went about her day, FCSO Chief Deputy Joseph Barile said during a March 6 press conference. 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. Demegillo then buried the baby in a corner of her backyard under just 4-5 inches of dirt.
At some point, the 20-year-old then messaged someone on social media about the baby, and that person later called 911.
The preliminary medical examiner's report does not say how long the baby was alive, Staly said. But they knew the baby was alive and crying at birth and inhaled water.
The baby weighed just 3 pounds, 6 ounces and was 18.7 inches long. Demegillo’s mother was the only other person at the home at the time the suspect gave birth.
Demegillo told deputies she did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth.
Staly said the FCSO investigating team did not necessarily believe Demegillo did not know about her pregnancy, but that was their personal opinion.
"We need to be able to prove it," he said.
The FCSO has served digital search warrants to go through Demegillo's search history, and any evidence will be turned over to the State Attorney's Office.
Based on any evidence collected, the manslaughter charge could change, Staly said.
Demegillo was detained early on March 6, and will be facing an aggravated manslaughter charge of a child. She was arrested later in the evening on March 6.
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.”
Staly said in the March 9 update that Demegillo's mental state seemed fine.
"She clearly knew what she was doing. She clearly knew she had given birth.”
In a statement in an earlier FCSO 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 attended high school in Palm Coast and performed in multiple productions for the Flagler Playhouse, with her last performance being "The Fantasticks" in June 2025.
She has no prior criminal history that the FCSO is aware of, Barile said. The incident is still under investigation.
