MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The mother of a girl whose body was found inside a dumpster at a southwest Miami-Dade County apartment complex Sunday afternoon has been arrested in connection with her daughter's death, police said.
Tina Farrington, 31, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Monday morning.
She faces a charge of first-degree murder.
A man was taking out the trash in the Tuscany Place Apartments about 12:45 p.m. when he found the body wrapped in a blanket and called 911, Detective Argemis Colome said.
"We didn't see the baby, just the blanket -- just like dangling off the dumpster," one woman said.
Local 10 News was at the apartment complex as police arrested Farrington, walking her out of her apartment in handcuffs.
Neighbors said she could be heard yelling at officers to get out of her apartment.
"And her face was just, like, no remorse, no worries. We knew she was there because her car was there," one woman said.
Police identified the victim as Tania Paige, 4.
According to an arrest report, Farrington was at home with her two children on Halloween when she became upset because Tania talked back to her.
Police said Farrington lured the victim and her brother into her bedroom and then suffocated Tania with a pillow.
Authorities said Farrington hid her daughter's body in the trunk of her 2013 Nissan Altima for several days.
According to the arrest report, Farrington noticed that a foul odor was coming from her trunk on Sunday, so she removed the body and placed it into a dumpster.
Police said the victim's body was in the early stages of decomposition when it was found, but bruises could be seen on the victim's arms, legs and torso.
Detectives said Farrington confessed to killing her daughter.
Loved ones left toys, stuffed animals and candles at the scene in memory of Tania.
"We are disgusted and devastated by the death of this innocent girl," Florida Department of Children and Families spokeswoman Jessica Sims said in a statement. "DCF has opened a child death investigation to review all circumstances that led to this tragedy and will assist police in any possible to hold anyone responsible accountable for this heinous act."
Sims said Tania was involved in one previous child protective investigation in 2016 that did not involve her mother.
Sims said the investigation uncovered no indicators of abuse, but said that a quality assurance review will be conducted on all prior interactions with the family.
Sims said Tania's brother is in the care of relatives and that the department will "support this child in any way we can."