In line with the Highlands County Sheriff’s Workplace, on Friday, Diane Natasha Mack, 34, referred to as authorities and reported that she discovered her 13-year-old adoptive daughter “unresponsive” of their Sebring house.

When deputies responded to the scene round midnight on Friday morning, they reportedly found what they described as a “horrific crime.”

The sheriff’s workplace stated they discovered the 13-year-old “mendacity unresponsive on the ground subsequent to the entrance door.” She was pronounced lifeless on the scene.

“The lady, who was nude apart from a diaper, had clearly been severely abused. She was extraordinarily emaciated and clearly malnourished,” Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman stated. “Her physique was lined in wounds in all levels of therapeutic, together with open lacerations that had been clearly lately suffered.”

Throughout the investigation, authorities reportedly found that the teenager — who was homeschooled — had been “restrained within the storage,” per the sheriff’s workplace.

“Detectives do not but know the way lengthy she had been held there, but it surely seems she was secured to the storage door and monitored from inside the house by a safety digital camera that had been mounted within the storage,” the discharge stated.

Blackman additionally alleged that Mack tried to cowl up the proof within the storage.

“Whereas her baby lay lifeless on the ground, the suspect had clearly used pool chlorine in an effort to destroy proof within the storage earlier than calling 911,” he stated.

In line with the sheriff’s workplace, Mack — who’s a former Florida Division of Kids and Households worker and in addition labored as a guardian advert litem — initially instructed authorities that she discovered her teen daughter on Thursday morning, however she later claimed it was “nearer to three p.m.”

Whereas the precise time is unclear, authorities reportedly found that Mack “took the time” to drive 4 different kids to Titusville, and returned house to Sebring earlier than she referred to as 911.

“This is among the most annoying crime scenes I’ve encountered in additional than 30 years of regulation enforcement,” Blackman stated. “There aren’t any phrases I can say that may actually convey the nightmare that this kid’s life should have been.”

“Mother and father have an obligation to like our youngsters and ensure no hurt comes their manner. To see a baby handled this manner will not be solely heartbreaking, it’s infuriating,” he added. “What makes it much more appalling is that the suspect is a former worker of not solely the Division of Kids and Households, but additionally labored as a guardian advert litem. That somebody whose job it was to take care of the welfare of youngsters may deal with their very own baby on this method is just past perception.”

Following her arrest, Mack was charged with first-degree homicide whereas engaged in aggravated baby abuse. As well as, she’s charged with aggravated baby abuse, kidnapping, and destroying proof. Mack is being held with out bail within the Highlands County Jail, per the sheriff’s workplace.

If you’re experiencing or witness baby abuse, name the Childhelp Nationwide Little one Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Little one or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. For those who consider a baby is in fast hazard, name 911.