A Florida couple, Leon Alejandro Jr., 21, and Samantha Angeline Feliz, 20, were arrested on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2026, in Rockingham, North Carolina, following a yearlong investigation into the disappearance and presumed death of their newborn.

Authorities say the couple fled North Carolina while Hollywood police were investigating the infant's disappearance. They were taken into custody by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service and booked into the Richmond County Jail on fugitive of justice warrants. Both are being held without bond pending extradition to Florida.

Hollywood police began their investigation in early 2025 after learning that Feliz allegedly gave birth sometime between December 6, 2024, and January 5, 2025. Despite the absence of a birth certificate or medical records, investigators developed sufficient evidence to charge Alejandro and Feliz with multiple felonies, including 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 that the couple repeatedly denied the child's existence, telling relatives the baby "was a prank" and later claiming the pregnancy had been a "hoax" intended to scam family members out of money, according to WPLG, which cited the arrest warrant.

Richmond County Sheriff Mark Gulledge praised the multi-agency effort leading to the arrests, calling it "a prime example of agencies nationwide collaborating to uphold justice."

Sources