[Applause] Ma'am, >> stop it. You're not going to stop us from entering the house. >> I didn't do that. >> Ma'am, stop fighting. >> Ma'am, open the door. >> Stop. >> At 6:00 a.m. in Tampa, Florida, police received a 911 call from a young woman. >> Tampa Police 911. What is the address of the emergency? >> I was just trying to get strangled. Okay. Do you have any unit letter or number? >> Okay. And what's going on? [Music] >> You're strangled. But I just woke up from >> Okay. I'm sorry. What happened? >> I was strangled. >> Okay. By who? >> I'm sorry. By who? Um, >> is she still there? >> Yes. >> How long ago did this happen? >> It just happened like like 34 minutes ago. I just woke up. [Music] >> Okay. Where is your mother now? >> She lost my room. The caller was quickly identified as 18-year-old Natavia Sanders. Before the call abruptly disconnected, Natavia managed to say something that stunned the dispatch center. She claimed her own mother had strangled her into unconsciousness and that she had just woken up in a state of panic. No one knew where she was inside the apartment. No one knew if she was still conscious or in critical danger. But one thing made the situation even more urgent. The person she accused was still inside the home. What could have driven a mother to attack her own daughter? And would police make it in time to save her? >> Couldn't tell if there was argument or what it was. >> Tampa Police Department. >> Good morning. >> He's on the home. >> Everybody. >> Okay. You come outside for me real quick, please. For what? >> Because >> we got to call for service here. >> Not here, >> lady. Don't play the game. >> You even do this. >> Don't do this. >> Two. Police arrive. A disturbing home. Less than 10 minutes after the call, officers arrived at the apartment complex where the 911 call had originated. On the outside, everything appeared normal. But inside, every detail hinted that something was terribly wrong. One officer believed he heard a scream from inside the unit moments before backup arrived. Police loudly ordered everyone in the home to come outside. A few seconds later, a woman appeared at the door. Rotesa Sylvius. As officers approached the porch, Rotesa's behavior suddenly escalated. She became agitated and erratic, forcing the officers to restrain her with physical force and escort her to a nearby patrol car. At that point, Natavia had not yet been located. But based on what they had just witnessed, the officers knew something far worse was waiting behind that door. Run. >> Come on. Come on. >> Take her back. >> No. >> Huh? >> No. >> As soon as the mother was removed from the apartment, the remaining officers quickly fanned out to search the interior. The apartment was eerily silent. No footsteps, no signs of life. The air was heavy, unmoving. Room by room, they moved forward in tense silence. In the kitchen area, one officer stopped cold. >> Not responsive at all. Found here, possibly choked out, maybe a very faint. Lying face down on the cold tile floor beneath the counter was the motionless body of a young woman. There was no blood, no signs of a struggle, but her neck was dark and bruised, her lips pale, her chest unmoving. All classic signs of esphyxiation caused by manual strangulation. It was Natavia Sanders, the same girl who had placed the desperate 911 call minutes earlier. She was unresponsive. Officers assessed her condition as critical with only minutes left to intervene. Emergency medical personnel arrived within minutes. They performed advanced life-saving measures. Intubation, IV fluids, cardiac support. After stabilizing her as much as possible, Natavia was transported to the hospital in a deep coma caused by severe brain hypoxia. But Natavia Sanders never regained consciousness. 2 days later she was pronounced dead at the hospital. The forensic report confirmed her cause of death as es asphixxia due to manual strangulation. The pressure applied to her neck cut off oxygen to her brain causing irreversible damage. There were no defensive wounds, no signs of self-inflicted harm and no indication of an accident. This was a deliberate act of violence committed in a closed space with no third-party presence. It was classified as a homicide by bare hands. And the only person present with Natavia at the time of the incident was the same woman who had just been placed in the back of a patrol car. At that moment, she had said nothing. But just minutes later, what she did inside that patrol vehicle would begin to expose the entire truth. The woman's name was Rotesa Sylvius, 38 years old, a quiet resident of an apartment complex in West Tampa, Florida. She had moved in just a few months prior with her three young children. Neighbors described her as reserved, often keeping her distance from others, but never drawing particular attention. Natavia Sanders, 18, was later identified as Rotesa's eldest daughter. Some neighbors recalled occasionally seeing the young woman coming and going, though not frequently. Very little was known about Natavia. It was unclear whether she lived there full-time or had only recently returned. There was a sense of distance between the mother and daughter, a tension that a few neighbors mentioned, even if they couldn't quite articulate it. A quiet young woman and a withdrawn mother. At first, these gaps in their relationship might have seemed like a private matter within a single parent household. But later, they would become one of the most telling aspects of the entire case file. >> Step out. Step out, ma'am. We're going to >> And uh you live here? >> Yes. >> How long have you lived here? >> Um a few months. >> A few months. Okay. Who do you live here with? >> Me and my children. >> Your children? The small children? Like the babies? I seen one or two little babies. Uh what about the the other person there? >> No, I have three kids. >> You have three kids. How old are your kids? >> How old are they? Nine, three, and four. >> Four. Okay. Kitchen. >> I have no idea. >> Somebody's in the kitchen a little bit older than nine, though. They're not 9 years old. >> I couldn't even tell you. >> You couldn't even tell you? >> Only have three kids. >> Okay. >> Once separated from the scene and secured in the back of a patrol car, Rotessa Sylvius began giving her initial statement. According to her, she had only three children, ages 9, 4, and three. When asked directly if anyone else had been in the apartment, she firmly said, "No." She made no mention of Natavia nor the 911 call. >> Is this Blackhawk Down? >> Like, who are these people? >> The police department. >> Police and fire. [Music] Are you able to sit back? Did you? >> Shortly after, another officer asked her the same question from the front seat of the patrol car. This time, Rotesa changed her story. She now said she had four children and confirmed that Natavia was her eldest daughter. Just minutes earlier, she had claimed not to know who the person lying in her kitchen was. The shift in her statement happened alarmingly fast, and it didn't seem like a lapse in memory, but rather a calculated attempt to mislead. In less than 10 minutes, she had both denied and acknowledged her biological connection to the victim. This reversal was not just inconsistent. It revealed a level of cold detachment that deeply unsettled the officers. Police noted this moment as a critical turning point in the investigation. Because no ordinary mother, no matter how panicked, would deny the existence of her own child lying unresponsive just a few feet away. Unless, of course, she was the one who put her there and was now trying to create emotional and legal distance. Rotasa's behavior only fueled suspicion further. When asked if she needed medical attention, she declined, but just moments later, she changed her mind and requested treatment for a small scratch on her hand. This erratic behavior was seen as a classic deflection tactic, an attempt to redirect focus toward herself, often used by individuals trying to avoid criminal responsibility. From the very beginning, all evidence at the scene pointed to one person, Rotesa Sylvius. First, there was the dying declaration from the victim. In the 911 call made just after regaining consciousness, Natavia Sanders with a faint but determined voice stated that it was her own mother who had strangled her. Though the call was brief and cut off midway, the recording was preserved and verified. In the US legal system, this type of statement is considered a dying declaration, a powerful form of evidence with the same legal weight as sworn testimony. Second, the crime scene was completely sealed. There were no signs of forced entry, no third party presence, and no evidence to suggest anyone else was in the apartment besides immediate family members. The setup of the apartment itself was suspicious. A sofa blocking the entrance, lights off, stale air, as if someone had intentionally tried to conceal what was inside. Third, Rotessa's statements were riddled with inconsistencies. She initially claimed to have only three young children and denied that anyone was in the kitchen. But shortly after, when pressed by police, she admitted she had an older daughter, Natavia, and confirmed that it was her lying on the kitchen floor. This rapid shift raised serious concerns about her attempt to conceal the victim's identity and evade responsibility. >> Went to the hospital just now, do you know? Who? Who is that? >> I have four kids. >> Oh, you have four kids. Okay. What was that daughter's name? >> Fourth. The forensic autopsy concluded that Natavia died from mechanical esphixia due to manual strangulation. There were no self-inflicted injuries, no signs of struggle with another person, and no evidence of accidental trauma. All physical findings pointed to a deliberate controlled act committed in a closed space. Finally, Rotesa's post crime behavior further revealed signs of guilt. She made no effort to call for help, showed no emotion, refused to cooperate, and initially denied any biological relationship to the dying girl just feet away from her. Her conduct was not just callous. It stood in stark contrast to the instinctive reaction expected of any mother. Taken together, the victim's statement, the closed crime scene, the autopsy findings, the conflicting testimony, and the cold demeanor, prosecutors had more than enough evidence to identify Rotesa Sylvius as the perpetrator. After completing the investigation and compiling all relevant evidence, the Hillsboro County State Attorney's Office officially charged Rotesa Sylvius with serious criminal offenses. Initially at the scene, Rotesa was arrested and charged with battery resulting in serious bodily harm and resisting arrest with violence after allegedly strangling her daughter into unconsciousness and refusing to comply with officers. However, after Natavia Sanders died two days later, the charges were elevated to first-degree murder. The most serious charge under Florida criminal law. The prosecution's case was based on multiple key elements. The recorded 911 call in which the victim named her mother as the attacker. The autopsy confirming death by strangulation and the defendant's inconsistent misleading statements at the scene. In May 2024, Rotesa was initially deemed incompetent to stand trial due to signs of mental illness, but by December, a court-appointed psychiatric evaluation determined that she had regained competency and was fit to proceed with trial. On May 21st, 2025, she appeared at her first court hearing, marking the start of formal criminal proceedings. She remains in custody without bond at the Hillsboro County Jail. If convicted of first-degree murder, Rotissa Sylvius faces either life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty, depending on the court's ruling. However, if it is proven that her mental illness significantly impacted her actions, she may be eligible for a reduced sentence or exemption from capital punishment under Florida law. This case is not just the tragedy of a broken family. It is a wakeup call about forms of violence that often go unnoticed. Denial, psychological control, the rejection of motherhood, and ultimately the annihilation of one's own child. Rotasa once claimed she didn't know who was lying on the kitchen floor. Minutes later, she called that person her biological daughter. The cold, calculated shift in her statements revealed a chilling truth. Not everyone who bears the title of mother is capable of giving maternal love. Sometimes blood ties are worn like a social mask. While behind it lies hostility, rejection and prolonged emotional abuse. Natavia was 18. She was trying to step out of that shadow of control, reaching out for help, calling 911, naming her abuser. But no one could have imagined that call would be her last. We often teach children to trust their family. But what happens when the family becomes the most dangerous place of all? When a mother is no longer a protector, but a person who denies her child's very identity their right to exist. This case reminds us down >> violence doesn't always come as fists. It appears in the blank stare of a mother who denies her own daughter. >> In the silence of neighbors who look away. >> In the legal gap between being suspected and being stopped. >> Are you able to sit back? >> If we don't change how we recognize but intervening. >> The psychological fractures within families. We will see more. >> And now she has four kids. I asked her. >> Young women robbed of life not by strangers but by the very people who were supposed to love the most. And if society continues to treat these cases as rare exceptions or personal mental breakdowns, then Natavia Sanders will not be the last.