A couple from Florida was arrested after their newborn vanished, whom they claimed was a “prank” and was never actually born.
Leon Alejandro Jr. and Samantha Feliz were arrested on Wednesday, July 22, in Rockingham, North Carolina, following a yearlong investigation into the child’s death. Investigators said Alejandro, 21, and Feliz, 20, fled their hometown of Hollywood, Florida, when police launched an investigation into the infant’s disappearance.
Investigators with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the US Marshals Service took the couple into custody, and they were booked into the Richmond County Jail on fugitive of justice warrants.
Alejandro and Feliz are currently being held without bond as they await their extradition to Florida.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said that Hollywood police began investigating the case in early 2025 after Feliz allegedly gave birth to the child sometime between December 6, 2024, and January 5, 2025.
Few details about the birth are known because it reportedly did not happen at a hospital and there are no medical records or a birth certificate for the infant.
Investigators came to learn that the couple’s family members saw them with the baby during the child’s first month of life, though the infant seemingly disappeared soon after.
The child, who has been identified by the initials A.F., was last photographed on January 5, 2025, according to an arrest warrant viewed by WPLG.
Prior to the infant’s disappearance, police said that A.F. appeared “visibly ill and malnourished” and showed “no signs of life” in what is believed to be the last photo taken of the child.
Throughout the investigation, authorities used cadaver dogs to search multiple locations. However, they were unable to find the infant’s remains.
Alejandro and Feliz allegedly claimed the child did not exist on several occasions, with authorities saying they told relatives that the baby “was a prank.” The couple later claimed that the pregnancy was a “hoax” they created to scam their family members, according to the arrest warrant.
However, investigators reported finding proof of the baby’s existence. In addition to claiming there were photographs in which Feliz was visibly pregnant, authorities also found text messages that showed her discussing the pregnancy and and detectives reportedly recovered baby clothing and a positive pregnancy test.
Detectives also said they found what appeared to be blood-stained towels from a storage unit that was tied to the couple. DNA testing was performed and it was determined that the blood found on the baby clothing and towels belonged to the couple’s biological child.
Detectives said they gathered enough evidence to charge both Alejandro and Feliz with aggravated manslaughter of a child, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, failure to report a death to the medical examiner, providing false information concerning a missing child and making false reports to law enforcement.
Despite confirming the arrests, authorities have not publicly shared additional information regarding what may have happened to the infant.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
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