Inset left to right: Leon Alejandro, Jr. and Samantha Angeline Feliz (Richmond County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Richmond County Jail in Rockingham, N.C. (Google Maps).
Authorities in North Carolina have apprehended a Florida couple who had been fleeing with allegations related to the death of their infant. The couple, identified by state officials, had managed to evade capture until now.
Leon Alejandro, Jr., aged 21, and Samantha Angeline Feliz, aged 20, are facing serious charges that include aggravated manslaughter of a child and tampering with physical evidence. In addition, they are accused of failing to report the death to the medical examiner, providing false information about a missing child, and fabricating reports to law enforcement during an active investigation, as detailed by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
Both individuals are currently detained in North Carolina under warrants issued in Broward County, Florida. The couple originates from Hollywood, Florida, a bustling city located about 20 miles to the north of Miami.
The sheriff’s office noted that this intricate investigation has been ongoing since early 2025. Details about the case remain somewhat ambiguous, with law enforcement describing the timeline of events as complex and difficult to ascertain clearly, as highlighted in a press release.
Authorities believe Feliz gave birth to the child sometime between Dec. 6, 2024 and Jan. 5, 2025. Law enforcement alleges the “birth was concealed” and the baby was born “somewhere other than a hospital.”
At some point, the baby went missing, the sheriff’s office said.
“During the child’s first month of life, other family members saw the couple with the baby,” the press release reads. “After that, the baby was never seen again, and both parents denied that the child was theirs, claiming it was a prank.”
As the investigation progressed, authorities charged both defendants, on the assumption the child had been born and subsequently died, “[d]espite the lack of an official birth certificate and medical records,” the sheriff’s office said.
After the warrants were issued based on violations of Florida law, the U.S. Marshals Service enlisted officials in North Carolina to help with the investigation, according to the press release.
The couple fled to Richmond County and were living on a property belonging to one of Alejandro’s relatives — on Ledbetter Road in Rockingham — when they were arrested, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities did not immediately disclose how they think the baby died or its exact age at the time of death.
The defendants are currently being detained in the Richmond County Jail on fugitive of justice warrants with no bond as they await extradition to the Sunshine State.
“This is a prime example of agencies nationwide collaborating to uphold justice,” Sheriff Mark B. Gulledge said in a statement.
The post Florida couple charged in missing baby’s death told people ‘it was a prank’ and said the child was not theirs: Sheriff first appeared on Law & Crime.