An illegal migrant who was given a pass to roam the U.S. under two Democrat administrations will be charged with murder after allegedly strangling an infant.
The Leesburg Police Department arrested Alvaro Mejia Ayala on Sept. 17 for allegedly choking his eight-month old baby sister, leaving her in critical condition and fighting for her life. Leesburg Police Chief Thea Pirnat confirmed Tuesday that the infant girl has passed away from her injuries.
Mejia Ayala is a foreign national who entered the U.S. unlawfully, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed. Following his arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer, requesting to assume custody of him following the conclusion of his criminal proceedings.
The alleged baby killer first entered the U.S. as a minor in 2016 and was released into the country by the Obama administration, according to DHS. It’s not immediately clear if he was paroled into the U.S. at the time of his release. The Biden administration — which oversaw unprecedented levels of illegal immigration — dismissed his immigration case in October 2024, effectively allowing him to remain unlawfully in the country indefinitely, DHS stated.
“Despite immediate and extensive life saving efforts by first responders and expert medical personnel, the child succumbed to injuries just after midnight this morning,” Pirnat said during a press conference. “Additional charges, including murder, will be filed following the return of forensic results in a case review.”
“Let me be clear, this was not an accident. A child was murdered in a deliberate act,” Pirnat continued. “Leesburg Police Department and our criminal justice partners are fully committed to ensuring that the person responsible is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mejia-Ayala was previously arrested for reckless driving in 2024, but was released by local law enforcement before federal immigration officials could lodge a detainer, according to DHS.
On the day of the incident, Mejia-Ayala had contacted a friend for a ride and allegedly claimed he was “playing with his sister and may have killed her,” according to court documents obtained by FOX 5. The responding officers who arrived on scene found the eight-month-old girl unresponsive with a white charging cable wrapped around her neck.
He allegedly fled the apartment before local police arrived, but was arrested several hours later just a few blocks away from the scene, according to law enforcement.
Mejia-Ayala is being held without bond and was originally charged with a felony count of strangulation, but local law enforcement confirmed he will be hit with murder charges following the return of forensic evidence.
“What kind of sick monster strangles a defenseless, innocent baby girl with a charging cord? This barbarism has no place in the U.S.,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a previous public statement. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
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