Fla. Woman Allegedly Tried to Kill Great-Granddaughter with Cerebral Palsy in Failed 'Murder-Suicide' Attempt By Liam Quinn 14

A Florida woman is accused of trying to kill her great-granddaughter with cerebral palsy after authorities say she became overwhelmed by her duties as a caregiver.

Deborah Collier, 69, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office says deputies searched for Collier after she left a suicide note in her home in DeLand, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 29. WESH reported that the suicide note was first discovered by her family.

Collier was located driving her vehicle at a traffic stop, while her 13-year-old granddaughter was unconscious in the passenger’s seat, authorities allege.

Collier allegedly said her great-granddaughter was sleeping, but deputies saw that the girl had white pill residue on her and noted that she was unresponsive, per the sheriff’s office.

“In Collier’s purse, deputies found prescription medication bottles and another typed note which indicated Collier was ending her and her great-granddaughter’s lives due to the stress caused to the rest of the family,” the sheriff’s office claimed.

The girl’s condition is currently stable, the sheriff’s office said, after she was allegedly given pills meant to kill her.

“Detectives learned the victim requires comprehensive, 24-hour care due to her disabilities. Collier and her husband have been her sole guardians since birth,” the sheriff’s office says. “The constant demands of caretaking have contributed to significant stress in the family.”

WESH reported that the girl has cerebral palsy and that Collier’s husband has a heart condition with stress-related symptoms.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Police allege that Collier told authorities she did not want the girl to be cared for in an assisted living facility and that she “believed that no one would care for her like family.”

Those stresses led her to plot what authorities have described as an attempted murder-suicide, police allege.

It is not immediately clear if Collier has entered a plea or retained an attorney.