Mother, boyfriend charged tot’s death

Authorities say the mother of a 3-year-old girl and her boyfriend are facing charges after the girl’s body was found dumped in a wooded area.

The Northwest Florida Daily News reported Saturday that police say 3-year-old Adelynn Merrell died after the boyfriend kicked her in the head as punishment for getting out of her car seat.

Investigators say the mother, 23-year-old Destinee J. Merrell, is jailed on three counts of child neglect and one count of aggravated child battery. The boyfriend, 29-year-old Cory M. Hagwell, faces one count of aggravated child abuse.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff ’s Office says additional charges are likely.

The couple initially reported the girl as missing. Investigators say Merrell eventually told them what happened. her clothes before he was arrested.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that 40-year-old Joseph Vaglica is charged with burglary with assault and is jailed on $25,000 bail.

Police say Vaglica entered the woman’s home through the garage door and then ran through the kitchen acting irrationally. The woman ran to her stepson’s house next door and called 911.

Investigators say Vaglica went into a bedroom and tried on the woman’s clothes and then ran back outside toward the stepson’s house. He was rolling in the yard when police arrived.

Court records show Vaglica has numerous previous arrests.

The pair operated Brock’s Home Town Funeral Home. Charges included misdemeanor counts of unlawful preservation and storage of human remains and mishandling human remains.

Investigators say bodies were left in open areas of the funeral home for months and improperly refrigerated. Most were supposed to be cremated.

Fourteen families have filed lawsuits against the owners of the funeral home because of the mishandled corpses. The owners claim Dunphy should be held responsible for the conditions.