The Department of War has identified a seventh U.S. service member killed in support of Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East.

The Department of War announced in a press release on Monday morning that Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Ky., died of his wounds on March 8 from injuries sustained during an enemy attack on March 1 at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

‘He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved.’

Pennington was “seriously injured” during the attack, according to the U.S. Army’s press release.

“The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command is deeply saddened by the loss of Sgt. Pennington,” Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, USASMDC commanding general, said. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved. That makes him nothing less than a hero, and he will always be remembered that way. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”

RELATED: ‘Heart of America’: Pentagon identifies 4 of the 6 US military members killed in Middle East

Photo by U.S. Navy via Getty Images

“Sgt. Pennington was a dedicated and experienced noncommissioned officer who led with strength, professionalism, and sense of duty,” Col. Michael Dyer, 1st Space Brigade commander, said. “Our deepest sympathies are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We remain dedicated to providing comfort and support at this time and will forever honor his legacy and ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”

Pennington was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado.

The Department of War said that the incident is currently under investigation.

Pennington was promotable and will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, according to a USASMDC press release.

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​Politics, Us army, Department of war, Dow, Benjamin pennington, Kuwait, Saudi arabia, Operation epic fury, Middle east, Prince sultan air base 

A growing number of states are considering a new way to tax drivers: charging you for every mile you travel.

The idea is called a per-mile driving tax, and if it moves forward, the cost of simply using your car could rise dramatically.

To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.

On a recent episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl,” Karl Brauer and I discussed how these proposals are spreading — and why they could mean both higher costs and more government monitoring of drivers.

Pay as you go?

States such as California and Massachusetts are exploring mileage-based road charges as a replacement or supplement to traditional fuel taxes. The idea is simple on paper: Instead of paying taxes at the pump, drivers pay based on how many miles they drive.

But in practice, that means a new bill tied directly to your mobility.

Estimates from California state Rep. Carl DeMaio (R) suggest the impact could be substantial. Under proposals being discussed in California, drivers could be charged six to nine cents per mile they travel.

For a typical driver covering about 15,000 miles a year, that translates to roughly $900 to $1,200 annually in new taxes. DeMaio notes that when those charges are layered on top of existing gas taxes and vehicle taxes, the total burden for a two-car household could exceed $4,200 per year just for the privilege of driving.

That’s not a minor adjustment. For many families, it would function like another recurring household bill — tied directly to how much they drive.

And unlike discretionary spending, driving often isn’t optional. Millions of Americans rely on their vehicles to get to work, transport children, care for relatives, and handle everyday errands.

Commuter looter

One of the biggest problems with per-mile taxes is who ends up paying the highest price.

The drivers most likely to rack up mileage are often the ones who can least afford it. In expensive states like California, many workers commute long distances because housing near job centers is out of reach. Living farther out keeps rent or mortgage payments manageable — but it also means driving more miles.

A mileage tax effectively punishes those drivers for circumstances they can’t control.

Karl points out the obvious math: The longer your commute, the higher your tax bill. That means lower-income workers who travel farther to reach their jobs could end up paying more than wealthier drivers who live closer to work.

I spy

There’s another practical issue: How would states measure those miles?

To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.

Modern cars already gather significant amounts of information through connected systems, insurance telematics, and onboard software. But a statewide mileage tax would likely require even more precise tracking.

Older vehicles without built-in connectivity present another challenge. Any mileage-tax program would still have to account for them, which could mean external tracking devices, reporting systems, or other work-arounds.

However the system is built, the bottom line is that taxing miles requires knowing how many miles you drive — and that opens the door to broader monitoring of driver behavior.

Kill switch 2.0

During the episode, we also talk about how this issue overlaps with new driver-monitoring technology already appearing in modern vehicles.

Under provisions in the 2021 infrastructure law, new vehicles will eventually include systems designed to detect impaired driving. The concept is often described as a safety feature, but the broader concern is how much control these systems could exert over the vehicle itself.

If software determines that a driver is impaired or unsafe, it could prevent the car from operating.

Karl and I agree that no one wants impaired drivers on the road. But once vehicles are equipped with systems capable of monitoring behavior and controlling vehicle operation, the question becomes how those systems might be used — and who ultimately controls them.

For drivers, that raises an uncomfortable possibility: a vehicle that can track, interpret, and potentially restrict how you use it.

RELATED: Salvage title cars are showing up at dealerships. Should you buy one?

Mike Simons/Getty Images

Engine trouble

Even without mileage taxes, the cost of owning and operating a vehicle has been climbing.

Vehicle prices remain high. Insurance premiums have increased significantly in many states. Repairs are more expensive as cars become more technologically complex. Fuel prices remain volatile.

Layering a per-mile tax on top of those costs would make daily transportation even more expensive.

Take California, where drivers already pay the highest fuel taxes in the country. A mileage-based charge might not replace those taxes — it could simply add another layer on top of them.

A broader trend

Mileage taxes also fit into a larger pattern in transportation policy.

Governments are experimenting with new ways to regulate emissions, reshape travel behavior, and generate revenue from road usage. But the people who feel the impact most directly are ordinary drivers.

Policies that make driving more expensive or more restricted don’t affect abstract “vehicle usage.” They affect real people who rely on their cars every day.

That includes workers commuting to jobs, parents transporting children, caregivers helping elderly relatives, and small-business owners who depend on vehicles for their livelihoods.

The bottom line

For most Americans, a car isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

That’s why proposals like per-mile driving taxes deserve close scrutiny. They could dramatically increase transportation costs while expanding the amount of information collected about how drivers use their vehicles.

If states move forward with mileage-based taxes, drivers will be the ones paying the bill — both financially and in terms of how their mobility is monitored.

Listen to the full episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl” below:

​Drive with lauren fix and karl brauer, Lifestyle, Auto industry, Align cars, Per mile taxes, Kill switch 

Many news outlets glossed over key details about the attempted bombing in New York City over the weekend, in some instances misleadingly portraying the attack outside Gracie Mansion as a threat to the city’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani (D), and omitting the motivations and apparent Islamic radicalization of the suspects.

Mamdani refused to acknowledge the suspects’ identities and instead focused his messaging on blaming the initial protest, “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City,” which the mayor claimed was “rooted in bigotry and racism.”

‘What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls “smoking jars of metal and fuses.”‘

The media initially echoed Mamdani’s framing.

The New York Times released an early report titled, “Smoking Jars of Metal and Fuses Thrown at Protest Near Mayor’s House,” in which the outlet was quick to label the anti-Islamic protesters as “far-right” and led by “the far-right provocateur Jake Lang.”

The report detailed how the “turbulent scene” began with Lang’s demonstration, noting that one of his fellow protesters sprayed counter-protesters with mace before a counter-protester threw two smoking objects in their direction. The framing of the report suggested that the anti-Islam protesters were the initial aggressors in the confrontation.

The Times described the two suspects accused of bringing the “smoking objects” merely as “counterprotesters,” without delving into their potential motivations, political leanings, or signs of radicalization.

No explosions or injuries were reported.

RELATED: Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters ‘Allahu Akbar’ — but NYC mayor rips ‘bigotry and racism’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

Author Hans Mahncke criticized the Times’ headline, writing in a post on social media, “What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls ‘smoking jars of metal and fuses.'” The headline of the Times’ article was later updated to “Homemade Bomb Thrown at Protest Near N.Y.C. Mayor’s House, Police Say.”

At the same time that early news reports were surfacing, videos posted to social media showed one of the suspects shouting, “Allahu Akbar,” while tossing an IED toward anti-Islam protesters.

Even with the release of this and similar videos, the media was slow to report that Islamic radicals potentially carried out the attempted bombing.

The media began covering this angle only after the New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the attempted bombing was being investigated as ISIS-inspired terrorism.

The Times later reported that the suspects had viewed ISIS videos online, according to two anonymous officials. The homemade bombs reportedly contained triacetone triperoxide, made from precursor materials that have been linked to ISIS in the past, including in the Paris attacks in 2015.

RELATED: Glenn Beck exposes commie Mamdani’s ‘free’ day-care scam: $36K per kid — 55% more than private — and the socialist trap coming

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Tisch, who confirmed that the IEDs were real and potentially lethal, released more details about the suspects in a post on X.

“Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested on scene yesterday and are in custody in connection with this matter. The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force,” Tisch wrote.

Despite Tisch’s announcement, Mamdani held fast to his original position.

During a Monday-morning press conference, Mamdani again criticized “white supremacy” and condemned the anti-Muslim protest. While he denounced violence, he described many of the counter-protesters as “peaceful.” He did not mention that the suspects appear to be radicalized Muslims.

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​News, New york city, Nyc, Zohran mamdani, Jessica tisch, Islam, Radical islam, Jake lang, Gracie manson, Terrorism, Terrorist attack, Politics 

Since last month, the Department of Homeland Security has been hamstrung by a Democrat-led government shutdown singling the agency out. Now, citizens — and especially air travelers — are paying the price due to a lack of department funding.

Security lines at airports across the nation have reportedly been “out the door” in some instances in the past couple of days, as DHS highlighted on Sunday.

‘The best advice we can share with travelers is simple: plan ahead, arrive early and stay in communication with your airline.’

DHS wrote on X: “SECURITY LINES OUT THE DOOR. Americans are now missing their flights because of the Democrats [sic] shutdown of DHS. Their political stunt is forcing patriotic TSA officers to work without pay — leading to financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages. Enough is enough: Democrats must fund DHS NOW.”

TSA seconded the post: “Enough is enough. The Democrat shutdown of DHS must end!”

RELATED: ‘It’s about time’: Passengers who refuse to use headphones may be kicked off this airline

Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Airports across the country have warned passengers to arrive at the airport several hours ahead of their scheduled flight.

For example, Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport posted an update on Monday morning telling passengers to plan to arrive three hours before their flight, adding that TSA security lines could take up to two hours to get through.

Likewise, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport cautioned passengers to arrive “4-5 hours before their flight to allow extra time for TSA screening.”

The warning added that TSA wait time “may exceed 180 minutes.”

Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the City of Houston’s Department of Aviation, estimated that area airports are expecting 2.2 million travelers during the busy spring break season. The increased numbers of travelers paired with the decreased staff numbers at TSA because of the government shutdown have caused dramatic delays.

“The best advice we can share with travelers is simple: plan ahead, arrive early and stay in communication with your airline,” reads a statement from Szczesniak.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a White House article Monday morning showcasing the frustrations of federal workers and travelers alike at various airports. The article also mentioned that over 100,000 DHS employees are working without pay.

Phoenix TSA worker Jovan Petkovich told Fox: “We’re fed up. We’ve had enough. This is the third shutdown in a matter of six months. … How many delays is it? How many flight attendants are being impacted?”

The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account added to Petkovich’s statement, saying, “Democrats need to fund [DHS] and stop playing politics with people’s livelihoods.”

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​Politics, Dhs, Department of homeland security, Tsa, Airports, Airplanes, Air travel, White house, Transportation security administration, Democrat shutdown 

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that he is replacing Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security and nominating Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) to the position, while reassigning Noem to a new role as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.

When BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales got the news, her very first reaction was: “Why wasn’t it Pam Bondi?”

“That actually is the biggest shock to me. … You’re putting people on the chopping block, and Pam Bondi wasn’t the first one?” she asks.

While Sara will continue to “hold that hope” that Bondi will eventually be replaced, for now it’s Noem who has taken the hit.

Sara revisits President Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the shake-up:

“I mean, you gotta hand it to him. He is loyal. He does regard loyalty in the highest esteem. … He doesn’t want to actually fire anyone. That was just for the TV show,” says Sara, referring to “The Apprentice,” the reality series that aired on NBC from January 2004 to 2017, where Trump coined the iconic “you’re fired” gesture.

“He just makes up new jobs for these people to go take so he doesn’t have to be like, ‘Yeah, we just didn’t like her.’ … He’s like, ‘Well, she’s going to be the special envoy for the Shield of Americas, which we don’t actually have yet, but we should, and we will, beginning this weekend, because I fired her and had to find a spot for her,”’ she laughs.

But Sara’s got another big question mark hanging over Noem’s replacement.

“I don’t understand why we are pulling senators away from our already slim majority when you could have brought in Tom Homan, right?” she says.

“Are we trying to lose the majority? I don’t understand what the goal is here.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Kristi noem, Blazetv, Blaze media, Trump, Noem, Dhs, Markwayne mullin, Pam bondi 

Last year, Minnesota state employee Dylan Adams was arrested for vandalizing six Tesla vehicles, reportedly causing $20,000 in damage.

Despite the damage, Adams was punished by the state with only a single-day, unpaid suspension, according to a letter from the state Department of Human Services.

‘THAT’S IT. He’s not even being PROSECUTED.’

Dylan, an employee of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, was just one of several people arrested last year in connection with the destruction of Tesla vehicles in Minnesota.

The damage was in protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his then-leadership role at the Department of Government Efficiency.

RELATED: Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters ‘Allahu Akbar’ — but NYC mayor rips ‘bigotry and racism

Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

According to the investigative report, Adams claimed he was disturbed by Musk’s hand gestures to a Trump crowd in 2025, perceiving it as a Nazi salute. He said he vandalized the Teslas “in hopes that the owners of the vehicles would disassociate themselves from Elon Musk and Tesla,” the report said.

The suspension letter revealed Adams’ official punishment and the details of the damage.

“This letter is to inform you of our intent to suspend you for one (1) working day,” the letter read, for “the following facts”: “Your behavior of vandalizing (‘keying’) multiple (six) Tesla vehicles in March of 2025 which made local and national headlines.”

Adams was told that he had the right to appeal the suspension, but it does not appear he has done so.

The letter was signed by Heidi Hamilton, Disability Services director.

Adams has never been charged with a crime in connect with the vandalism.

RELATED: Mamdani walks back popular progressive campaign promise to pedestrians

Photo by Lab Ky Mo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office announced last year that prosecutors would opt for “diversion” instead, which officials said was typical in similar cases.

Daniel Borgertpoepping, spokesperson for Moriarty’s office, said, “We offered diversion, as we often do with property damage cases when the person has no record. Mr. Adams will have to complete the requirements of the program. He will also have to pay every penny in restitution to the victims. If he does not meet those requirements, we will proceed through the criminal legal system process.”

Critics noted the minimal consequences Adams is facing for his actions.

Nick Sortor wrote on X, “THAT’S IT. He’s not even being PROSECUTED. Minnesota is a FAILED STATE!”

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U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is a vociferous opponent of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, sometimes referred to as the SAVE America Act, which would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

The unpopular senator has characterized the act — the passage of which President Donald Trump has made a condition of his ratification of other bills — as “Jim Crow 2.0,” a “fringe piece of legislation,” and as “extreme as it gets.”

‘Americans see the hypocrisy.’

Schumer was not, however, always opposed to measures protecting the benefits owed only to American citizens.

Decades-old footage has once again gone viral online, showing Schumer previously making the case that valid U.S. identification ensures against rampant fraud by noncitizens.

When discussing a proposed amendment to the Republican-sponsored Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in March 1996, then-Rep. Chuck Schumer stated, “Let’s admit the truth: Everywhere people go, they’re asked for a Social Security card. In fact, one way to prove you’re a bona fide person who can have a job is to ask for a driver’s license and a Social Security card.”

“This is an anti-fraud amendment. All over, where we go, people say, ‘Well, why can’t you stop illegal immigrants or others from coming here?’ And the number-one answer we give our constituents is, ‘When they come here, they can get jobs, get benefits against the law because of fraud,'” said Schumer.

RELATED: Illegal alien allegedly voted in 2024 federal election, when Trump and Kamala were on the ballot

Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

In the video — an excerpt of which the White House shared online last month — the Democrat also blasts opposition to the “anti-fraud measure.”

Responding to the remarks made by the Schumer of yesteryear, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) wrote, “Americans see the hypocrisy. Pass the Save America Act.”

“The only thing that’s changed here is Democrat messaging,” wrote Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). “EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON recognizes that securing U.S. elections is commonsense.”

North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris (R) urged Schumer, “Listen to your past self.”

“I guess new Chuck Schumer changed his mind,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

On Sunday, Schumer recycled his “Jim Crow 2.0” talking point and claimed that the SAVE Act would “disenfranchise tens of millions of people.”

“If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate,” continued Schumer. “Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances.”

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll from February revealed that a supermajority — 71% — of U.S. voters support the SAVE Act, including 50% of Democrats. When polled on the particulars of the legislation, 75% of U.S. voters said they supported proof of citizenship; 81% said they supported voter ID; and 80% said they supported states removing noncitizens from voter rolls.

The poll also found that 85% of respondents, including a majority across all political parties, said that only American citizens should be able to vote.

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​Save america, Safeguard american voter eligibility act, Chuck schumer, Schumer, Hypocrisy, Democrat, Voter ide, Voter fraud, Election, Midterm, Donald trump, Illegal aliens, Noncitizens, Noncitizens voting, Politics 

President Donald Trump and members of his administration are attempting to defuse concerns over skyrocketing energy costs. The problem may, however, get a whole lot worse before getting better.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally transits the Strait of Hormuz, a stretch of water between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

The latest Middle Eastern conflict, now in its second week, has not only prompted various regional energy giants to temporarily shutter their operations but effectively halted traffic through the strait, as illustrated by Marine Vessel Traffic’s real-time map.

‘The sky is the limit.’

These interruptions to the global energy supply have driven up oil prices to over $100 per barrel of crude.

Prior to the opening bell on Monday morning, the international benchmark Brent crude saw an intraday high of nearly $120 per barrel. After trading at over $104 per barrel after opening, Brent fell closer to $102.

Citing data from over 12 million individual price reports, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at the price-tracking service GasBuddy, noted, “The nation’s average price of gasoline has risen 51.1 cents over the last week and stands at $3.45 per gallon.”

“The national average is up 54.1 cents from a month ago and is 41.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago,” continued De Haan. “The national average price of diesel rose 85.9 cents in the last week and stands at $4.599 per gallon.”

RELATED: Iran promises to cease attacks on neighboring countries as Trump warns it will be ‘hit very hard’

Photo by Alain JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images

De Haan projected the national average for gasoline prices might soon reach $3.65-$3.85 per gallon and suggested that the three remaining states with gas prices below $3 per gallon — Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arizona — won’t be able to maintain that ceiling for long.

When asked on Saturday whether he might consider utilizing America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to alleviate some of the pressure at home, Trump told reporters, “We’ve got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount.” The president then criticized former President Joe Biden’s massive withdrawals from the reserve.

Facing market signals that oil prices would continue rising, the president and his administration attempted the following day to downplay the issue and emphasize the short-lived nature of the cost increase.

Trump noted on Sunday, “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace.”

“ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!” added the president.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told “Fox News Sunday” that coalition forces are “massively attriting” Iran’s ability to strike oil assets in the Middle East and “that rate of attrition will increase in the coming days” such that “energy will flow soon.”

Wright claimed further that the surging cost of oil and gas “has nothing to do with any shortage of barrels of oil or natural gas. It’s just fear and perception.”

The energy secretary also pushed this notion on CBS News, claiming that the price spikes are resultant of “emotional reactions and fear that this is a long-term war,” adding that “it’s a temporary movement.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly emphasized that the cost increases will be brief, telling Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that the price rises amount to a “short-term disruption for the long-term gain of taking out the rogue Iranian terrorist regime and finally ending their restriction of the free flow of energy in the Middle East.”

Neil Atkinson, the former head of oil at the International Energy Agency, is among the analysts who believe this disruption has all the makings of a historic crisis.

“Though there are oil stocks around the world, the point is that if this closure of the Strait persists, those oil stocks, if they are deployed, will be depleted and we are going to be in a situation where, with the oil production actually shut in, in Iraq and possibly in Kuwait, and maybe even, in time, in Saudi Arabia, that we are going to be in a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before,” Atkinson told CNBC.

When asked about oil prices, Atkinson said, “There is no precedent for this. The sky is the limit.”

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​Oil, Gas, Energy, Market, Markets, Barrel, Crude, Iran, Iran war, Iran strikes, Strait of hormuz, Donald trump, Trump, Politics 

A 20-year-old Florida female gave birth in a toilet in her home last week, left her newborn girl there, waited until her baby stopped “crying and moving,” and watched her baby die, police said.

Authorities received a call around 4 a.m. Friday requesting a welfare check on Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, of Palm Coast, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.

‘May God bless this infant and hold and comfort the baby in his loving hands with the love the baby never received on earth.’

The caller told dispatchers Demegillo had sent messages to the caller stating she had been secretly pregnant and unexpectedly gave birth at home, officials said. The message indicated that Demegillo’s baby was born alive and crying, but Demegillo had done something to the infant, officials said.

Deputies arrived on scene and met with Demegillo, who told them she wasn’t sure she was pregnant but began experiencing severe abdominal pain around 3 a.m. Thursday and later delivered the newborn in her bathroom toilet, officials said.

Demegillo claimed she thought the infant was deceased, so she hid the infant in a duffle bag in her closet and went about her normal daily routine, officials said.

When Demegillo returned home from a theater performance in New Smyrna Beach, she buried the deceased infant in a shallow grave in her backyard, officials said, adding that at no point did Demegillo contact emergency services for assistance.

Detectives determined that Demegillo knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet, officials said.

Chief Deputy Joe Barile of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office told WESH-TV, “It baffles me, to be completely honest. Sometimes you can’t explain everything.”

The newborn girl weighed three pounds, six ounces, and measured 18 inches long, the station noted.

“She goes to the bathroom, she thought she had cramps, pains, and … she goes into labor, and then delivers a child,” Barile said, according to WESH. “She sees it in the toilet, leaves it there, watches it, hears it cry, and waits until it stops crying and moving.”

RELATED: University of Kentucky cheerleader arrested after allegedly stashing her dead baby in garbage bag, hiding body in closet

Barile added to the station that “she hid the infant in a duffel bag in her closet and went about her normal routine. She went to her college.” Barile told WESH the suspect also went to the Little Theatre in New Smyrna Beach for a performance in which she played the character Virtue in the musical “Anything Goes.”

Detectives said Demegillo returned home around 10 p.m. Thursday and buried the baby, wrapped in a towel, in the backyard grave, the station said. Barile added to WESH that “deputies only had to remove, I’d say, four to five inches of dirt to find the baby.”

Deputies told the station the newborn appears to have died from abandonment.

Demegillo faces aggravated manslaughter charges, WESH said, adding that she showed no sadness or remorse. She appeared before a judge Saturday morning and was denied bond, the station reported.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our community, for the family involved, and an emotionally difficult case for our team,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “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. 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. May God bless this infant and hold and comfort the baby in his loving hands with the love the baby never received on earth.”

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, officials said. Palm Coast’s Safe Haven Baby Box allows for complete anonymity and is located at Fire Station 25, officials said. Parents can quietly and safely place their newborn inside the secure, climate-controlled box without having to interact with anyone face-to-face, officials said.

Those with information are encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 386-313-4911.

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​Florida, Newborn, Toilet, Arrest, Birth, Aggravated manslaughter of a child, Bond denied, Jailed, Secretly pregnant, Flagler county sheriff’s office, Palm coast, Buried newborn, Crime