In a shocking twist to a tragic case, a Florida couple accused of fabricating the existence of their infant, who is now presumed dead, has been captured in North Carolina. Their arrest comes after an exhaustive yearlong investigation.
Leon Alejandro Jr., aged 21, and Samantha Feliz, aged 20, both residents of Hollywood, Florida, were apprehended on Wednesday in Rockingham, North Carolina. According to investigators, the couple had fled there as Hollywood police launched an inquiry into the mysterious disappearance of their baby.
Authorities from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service, detained the suspects. They were subsequently charged as fugitives and are currently held without bond at the Richmond County Jail, while they await their extradition back to Florida.
The investigation was initiated by Hollywood police in the early months of 2025 after reports emerged that Feliz had allegedly given birth between December 6, 2024, and January 5, 2025. This timeline sparked inquiries into the whereabouts of the child.
Facing multiple felony charges related to the infant’s disappearance, Leon Alejandro Jr. and Samantha Angeline Feliz are now awaiting their return to Florida justice. This update was provided by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office through their Facebook channel.
Authorities said the birth was concealed and happened somewhere other than a hospital.
Investigators said family members saw the couple with the baby during the child’s first month of life. After that, authorities said, the infant was never seen again.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by WPLG, investigators believe the child, identified only by the initials A.F., was last photographed on Jan. 5, 2025. Detectives wrote that the infant appeared “visibly ill and malnourished” and showed “no signs of life” in what they described as the final known image.
The warrant also alleges investigators searched multiple locations with cadaver dogs but were unable to locate the child’s remains, according to the outlet.
Investigators with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested the Florida couple at a property near Rockingham, North Carolina. (Richmond County Sheriff’s Office – N.C. Facebook)
Authorities allege Alejandro and Feliz repeatedly denied the child existed, telling relatives the baby “was a prank” and later claiming the pregnancy had been a “hoax” intended to scam family members out of money, WPLG reported, citing the arrest warrant.
According to the outlet, investigators said photographs showed Feliz visibly pregnant, while text messages discussed the pregnancy and the baby.
Detectives also reportedly recovered baby clothing, a positive pregnancy test and what appeared to be blood-stained towels from a storage unit tied to the couple. DNA testing later determined blood recovered from the baby clothing and towels belonged to a biological child of Alejandro and Feliz, according to the warrant.
Despite the lack of a birth certificate or medical records, investigators said they developed enough evidence to charge both suspects 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.
Authorities allege the couple fled Florida and were living on property belonging to one of Alejandro’s relatives in Richmond County when investigators located and arrested them July 22.
Hollywood, Florida, lies on the Florida beach between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and was named after the showbiz town in California. (fotog via Getty Images)
Richmond County Sheriff Mark Gulledge praised the multi-agency effort that led to the arrests.
“This is a prime example of agencies nationwide collaborating to uphold justice,” Gulledge said in a statement.
Authorities have not publicly released additional details about what investigators believe happened to the infant.
News Media has reached out to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for any additional updates on the investigation, but did not immediately receive a response.