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Highlands Today

BREAKING NEWS: Landfill Baby's Mom Discarded Live Daughter In Garbage Bag, Authorities Say

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By Dan  Fearson | Highlands Today
and Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: January 9, 2008

PROSECUTORS: Landfill Mom Discarded Live Baby

SEBRING — A Highlands County Grand Jury charged Silvia Zanchez, 24, of 109 Sarasota St., Lake Placid, with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse Wednesday afternoon.

Zanchez was charged with the murder of her newly delivered infant daughter.

A press release from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office issued Wednesday afternoon said that a roommate at Zanchez's residence reported to authorities that Zanchez had delivered the baby in her bedroom on the night of Nov. 22, 2007.

The roommate then reported that Zanchez disposed of "sheets and bedding that had been on her bed, as well as other unknown items in trash bags that were collected by the garbage truck on Nov. 23."
The release went on to say that Zanchez admitted to delivering a live infant daughter that was later placed in a bag and collected by the garbage company.

A multi-day search effort was conducted by the sheriff's office at the Highlands County Landfill, where cadaver-detecting dogs from other agencies searched through garbage in an attempt to recover the body of the baby.

Zanchez was served with the indictment in jail, where she is currently being held after being charged with identity theft and unauthorized possession of an identification card. Both charges are third degree felonies.

Zanchez was employed by Lake County Farms in Lake Placid at the time of her initial arrest. She provided a Social Security card and Residential Alien Card to her employer as identification.

Detectives learned through investigation that the Social Security number she provided was assigned to another person by the Social Security Administration and the Residential Alien Card was fraudulent.

Bryan 'Red' Fanning

A Highlands County Grand Jury also heard new evidence Wednesday connected to the arson-related murder of Bryan "Red" Fanning.

Terrence Jerome "TJ" Barnett, 26, of Frostproof, Leeann Parker, 25, of Lake Wales, Brandon William "LB" Johns, 28, of Avon Park, and Arthur Aul III, 36, Avon Park, are all facing first degree murder charges in relation to Fanning's Aug. 22 death. All are being charged with first degree murder, first degree arson, kidnapping and robbery.

A spokeswoman for the Highlands County Courthouse said that the grand jury returned an amended indictment after prosecutors learned that an autopsy had come back on Fanning's body suggesting that he could have died from head trauma, as well as strangulation and or asphyxiation that were previously thought to have been causes.

Originally, investigators said that Fanning was "hog tied" inside his trailer home at 3301 DeSoto City Road, which was then set on fire. The District 10 Medical Examiner's Office said that Fanning was alive when the fire was set, although it was unclear whether he died from burns or smoke inhalation.

Prosecutors filed paperwork last fall stating that they would be seeking the death penalty against those involved in Fanning's murder. All of the defendants entered not guilty pleas during their arraignments.
Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig contributed to this report.

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