PALM COAST, Fla. – A new body-camera video released Monday shows Flagler County deputies arresting a 20-year-old woman after investigators found an infant buried in a backyard in Palm Coast.
News 6 obtained the body-camera footage the sheriff’s office provided, and a recording of a phone call from a friend that prompted a welfare check at the woman’s home.
“My friend told me that she had been secretly pregnant and this morning she had given birth,” said the anonymous caller.
Flagler County deputies went to a Florida Park Drive home in Palm Coast after the friend called Friday morning, the sheriff’s office said.
“She’s saying these things and she seems very mentally disassociated from it,” the caller said.
Deputies say Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, admitted she gave birth on a toilet the night before and that she heard the baby cry.
[WATCH: Florida baby found dead in shallow grave after disturbing birth at home]
Sheriff Rick Staly said on Monday that deputies have now found additional evidence they say shows the bathroom was cleaned while the baby was in the toilet.
“She did tell us that she was hoping that the baby would hurry up and die,” said Sheriff Staly.
Investigators allege Demegillo put the baby in a duffel bag and left the home to attend a college class and perform in a play. When she returned, they say she buried the infant in a shallow grave in the backyard.
Deputies found the infant Friday. The sheriff’s office said the baby weighed 3 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 19 inches.
“The ME has confirmed that the cause of death, preliminarily, we don’t have the final report from the ME, was that the baby died from drowning,” said Staly.
Demegillo told investigators she did not know she was pregnant, the sheriff’s office said.
“We personally think she knew she was pregnant based on some of the evidence that we have between text messages, but we need to prove that,” said Staly.
Demegillo was booked on a charge of aggravated manslaughter, the sheriff’s office said. Officials added that charge could change as investigators review more evidence.
Investigators said they are still seeking answers, including the identity of the infant’s father and additional details about the timeline.
Florida’s Safe Haven law allows a newborn to be dropped off at any fire station or hospital within 30 days anonymously and without prosecution.
A group called Safe Haven has installed special “baby boxes” in several locations throughout the state, including one in Palm Coast.
For more information about the Safe Haven Baby Box and locations, click here.
In addition to baby boxes, the organization provides a confidential National Hotline, 866-99BABY1.