ROCKINGHAM — A man and woman wanted in Florida on charges related to the death of their infant were apprehended in Richmond County on Wednesday.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies assisted the U.S. Marshals Service in the arrest of 21-year-old Leon Alejandro Jr. and 20-year-old Samantha Angeline Feliz — both of Broward County, Florida — on Ledbetter Road near Rockingham on July 22.
Feliz reportedly gave birth to their child —not at a hospital — sometime between Dec. 6, 2024 and Jan. 5, 2025, according to the sheriff’s office.
Family members reportedly saw the couple with the baby within the first month of its life. Investigators say the baby was never seen again and that Feliz and Alejandro “denied that the child was theirs, claiming it was a prank.”
Following an investigation by the Hollywood, Florida Police Department, the suspects were charged with: aggravated manslaughter of a child; tampering with or fabricating physical evidence; failing duty to report death to the medical examiner’s office; giving false information concerning a missing child; and making false reports to law enforcement during an investigation.
The couple allegedly fled Florida and were living on the property of one of Aljeandro’s relatives at the time of their arrest.
They were arrested on fugitive warrants and are being held in the Richmond County Jail without bond.
"This is a prime example of agencies nationwide collaborating to uphold justice," Sheriff Mark Gulledge said in a press release.
Jail records show Alejandro and Feliz are scheduled to appear in court on July 30.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
