Angela Dufrene: The Mystery Fate Of The Missing Miami Toddler

What happened to baby girl Angela Dufrene? The toddler girl reportedly went missing from Miami in November of last year, although her mother, Marjorie Dufrene, did not notify authorities of her disappearance. A staggering eight months went by before police were made aware that Angela had gone missing, due to an anonymous call to the Department of Children and Families regarding Ms. Dufrene’s other four children.

Angela’s family history is a sad story, and unfortunately all too common these days. Before giving birth to Angela and her twin brother, Marjorie Dufrene had a history of child abuse with her first three children, who were finally taken from her care in 2013. According to the Miami Herald, Angela Dufrene’s older siblings were removed by DCF when the department received a call claiming Ms. Dufrene had physically abused her son. The boy stated his mom did, indeed, hit him, and an exam confirmed his claim. Arrested for misdemeanor child neglect and abuse, the police report stated this was not Ms. Dufrene’s first child abuse offense.

“The medical exam showed positive indications of abuse. Marjorie has previous [child abuse] reports filed against her and is not allowed to physically discipline her children.”

Lewis Dufrene, the children’s father, took custody of them, but the mother retained weekend visitation. She also received only one year of probation and a fine for the continued abuse and neglect of her kids.

So, how did Angela Dufrene and her twin brother fall through the cracks of the system? The Broward County courts were aware that Ms. Dufrene was pregnant with twins in April, 2015. She actually notified Broward County Circuit Judge Kenneth Gottleib, in writing, that she was due to have twins in April, asking for more time to pay her fine. Her request was granted, yet the unborn twins went unnoticed by the system.

The Department of Children and Families had no contact with the Dufrene twins until a call was received claiming that the visiting older children were subjected to a filthy environment. At first, Ms. Dufrene claimed she had only four children. Suspicious, birth records were investigated, and Angela’s existence was revealed.

Mother reveals in court missing #Miami toddler is dead @careycoddcbs4 https://t.co/HQszmL9TXM

— CBS4 Miami (@CBSMiami) July 23, 2016

The missing toddler and her brother were born on April 25, 2015, reports CBS Miami. If she went missing in November, that would place Angela at only 19-months-old at the time of her disappearance. Apparently, this did not concern Ms. Dufrene severely enough to contact police to find her baby girl.

Though the City of Miami Police are actively searching for the baby girl, they have very little information to go on. Not even one picture of Angela has surfaced. They have turned to the public for help, requesting pictures or information regarding missing Angela Dufrene. City of Miami Police Department Officer Kenia Fallat explains why this is so important.

“Getting photos of Angela is imperative because it is going to be a key component in trying to continue searching for this child. We have very little to go on. We do know in the past she attended a daycare. We don’t have the name of the daycare so if anyone that does recall the name and can provide us with information, all those calls are imperative for us to start receiving. It is extremely crucial to the investigation because we need to find this child.”

Though Marjorie Dufrene claimed in court that Angela died from a fall sometime last November, the police remain suspicious, as her story has changed several times. If, in fact, Angela did die, why would Defrene vary her story? Miami Police are continuing the investigation, hoping to find little Angela still alive.

Missing Miami Toddler’s Mother Shocks Court Revealing ‘She Is Dead’ https://t.co/bTEKQDD7LY

— Inquisitr News (@theinquisitr) July 23, 2016

Perhaps Angela Dufrene was sold, and that is why no pictures are forthcoming, for fear authorities might find the baby girl. There are countless scenarios that might come into play in the course of the investigation, but until any real evidence of her demise is discovered, the fate of Angela Dufrene remains a mystery.

At this point in time, the identity of the twins’ father is unknown. Angela Dufrene’s brother is currently in foster care.

[Image via Shutterstock]