Ex-DCF Employee Who ‘Severly Abused’ Adopted Teen Daughter, Locked Her In Storage Charged with Homicide: Sheriff

In accordance 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 residence.

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 useless 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 phases of therapeutic, together with open lacerations that have been clearly not too long ago suffered.”

Through 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 understand how lengthy she had been held there, nevertheless it seems she was secured to the storage door and monitored from inside the house by a safety digicam 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 youngster lay useless 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 accordance with the sheriff’s workplace, Mack — who’s a former Florida Division of Kids and Households worker and likewise labored as a guardian advert litem — initially advised 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 residence to Sebring earlier than she referred to as 911.

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

“Dad and mom have an obligation to like our youngsters and ensure no hurt comes their method. To see a toddler 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 kids might deal with their very own youngster on this method is just past perception.”

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

In case you are experiencing or witness youngster abuse, name the Childhelp Nationwide Youngster Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Youngster or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. In case you consider a toddler is in quick hazard, name 911.