Mother Reveals In Court Missing Miami Toddler Is Dead

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- While Miami Police continue to seek the whereabouts of Angela Dufrene, a missing toddler, her mother, Marjorie, did provide a few answers to a judge in a court hearing on Thursday.

According to audiotaped recordings obtained by CBS4 News partner, The Miami Herald, Dufrene told Judge Cindy Lederman that the child "is no longer with us."

Judge Lederman replied, "Does that mean she's dead?" Dufrene replied, "Right."

The judge wanted to know specifics. "Can you give me her date of death?" she asked. Dufrene told the court, "Sometime last year."

Miami Police are trying to figure out what become of Angela, a twin, who would be two years old. Police say she has been missing since possibly November. On Thursday, police asked for the public's help in finding the missing girl.

Sources tell The Miami Herald that Dufrene provided police several stories about what happened to Angela, including that the little girl suffered a fall that killed her and that Dufrene placed the body in a dumpster in North Miami-Dade.

This is not Dufrene's first brush with the law.

Records show that she was arrested in Fort Lauderdale in 2013 for child neglect and battery. An arrest report states, "…Marjorie had hit (the child) on the head causing a cut and bruise. Marjorie has had previous CPIS reports filed against her and is not allowed to physically discipline her children."

Marjorie Dufrene, who told the court she lives in Sunrise and works at Dunkin' Donuts, has not been charged with a crime and police say she has been cooperative and is not a person of interest at this time.

Inside this courthouse, Judge Lederman wondered how something like this could happen to a child.

"It seems like somebody in Broward is sleeping," she said in court. "All the priors here and nothing was done. It's astounding, quite frankly."

Dufrene's four other children have been taken away from her.

Miami Police say they are still searching for Angela, although they have no pictures of the child. If anyone knows anything about her disappearance, they are urged to call Crimestoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.