A Florida couple accused of claiming their missing infant never existed has been arrested in North Carolina following a yearlong investigation into the child's presumed death. Leon Alejandro Jr., 21, and Samantha Feliz, 20, both of Hollywood, Florida, were taken into custody Wednesday in Rockingham, North Carolina, where investigators say they fled while Hollywood police investigated the disappearance of their infant.
The pair were arrested on fugitive of justice warrants and are being held without bond pending extradition to Florida. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the US Marshals Service were involved in the arrests.
Hollywood police initiated the investigation in early 2025 after learning Feliz allegedly gave birth between Dec. 6, 2024, and Jan. 5, 2025. The birth was reportedly concealed and occurred outside of a hospital. Investigators said family members saw the couple with the infant during its first month of life, but the child was never seen again after that.
According to an arrest warrant, investigators believe the child, identified only by the initials A.F., was last photographed on Jan. 5, 2025. Detectives noted the infant appeared visibly ill and malnourished in what they described as the final known image, and showed no signs of life. Searches using cadaver dogs were conducted at multiple locations but failed to locate the child's remains.
Authorities allege Alejandro and Feliz 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. Investigators reportedly recovered baby clothing, a positive pregnancy test, and what appeared to be blood-stained towels from a storage unit linked to the couple. DNA testing confirmed blood found on the baby clothing and towels belonged to a biological child of Alejandro and Feliz.
Despite the lack of a birth certificate or medical records, investigators have charged 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. The couple allegedly fled Florida and were living on property belonging to a relative of Alejandro in Richmond County when they were located and arrested on July 22.
Richmond County Sheriff Mark Gulledge praised the multi-agency collaboration that led to the arrests, stating, "This is a prime example of agencies nationwide collaborating to uphold justice." Authorities have not publicly released further details regarding what investigators believe happened to the infant.