Newborn vanished after secret birth, parents allegedly claimed baby was a prank: cops
A Florida couple accused of claiming their missing infant never existed has been arrested in North Carolina after a yearlong investigation into the child’s presumed death.Leon Alejandro Jr., 21, and Samantha Feliz, 20, both of Hollywood, Florida, were arrested Wednesday in Rockingham, North Carolina, where investigators say they fled while Hollywood police investigated the disappearance of their infant.The pair were taken into custody by investigators with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the US Marshals Service and booked into the Richmond County Jail on fugitive of justice warrants.They are being held without bond pending extradition to Florida.Hollywood police began investigating the case in early 2025 after learning Feliz allegedly gave birth sometime between Dec.
6, 2024, and Jan.5, 2025, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.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.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 pregnan...