Mother Smothered Child, Placed Body In Dumpster: Police

MIAMI, FL — A mother has been charged with smothering her four-year-old daughter on Halloween, placing her lifeless body in the trunk of her car for several days before finally attempting to dispose of the decomposing body in her apartment dumpster on Sunday, according to Miami-Dade police. The body of Tania Paige was discovered in the Tuscany Place Apartments dumpster around 12:45 p.m. The apartment complex is located at 25470 SW 137th Avenue not far from Homestead.

Thirty-one-year-old Tina Farrington was charged with first degree murder on Monday morning, according to Miami-Dade Police, who said that the child was murdered for talking back to her mother.

"The defendant became upset after hearing the victim talk back to her," according to court documents. "The defendant later lured the victim and her brother to her (defendant's) bedroom."

Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez on Monday called the crime "cruel and heinous."

Once in the bedroom, court documents said that Farrington grabbed a pillow.

"The defendant then retrieved a bedroom pillow and suffocated the victim until she became unresponsive and not breathing," court documents said.

Farrington allegedly placed the child's body in the trunk of her 2013 Nissan Altima until the body began to decompose five after the murder.

"The defendant later responded to her vehicle trunk and discovered a foul odor," court documents said. "On Sunday Nov. 5, 2017 at approximately 1 a.m., the defendant removed the victim's remains from the trunk of her vehicle and relocated same to the dumpster that is located within the complex."

Nearly 12 hours later another resident found the child amidst the garbage.

"According to investigators, a resident of Tuscany Place Apartments was throwing out his trash, when he observed what appeared to be a child inside the dumpster," explained Detective Argemis Colome of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "He immediately called 9-1-1 and officers from the MDPD South District responded."

The child was pronounced dead on the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel. She had bruises on her arms, legs and body, court records said.

"The defendant provided a detailed confession regarding her involvement in the death of the victim," court records added.

Photo courtesy Miami-Dade Police Department