A baby allegedly strangled by an illegal immigrant in Leesburg, Virginia, has died.
The Department of Homeland Security said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer for Alvaro Mejia-Ayala, who has been charged with using a white charging cord to strangle the infant, according to a news release from the Department of Homeland Security.
“What kind of sick monster strangles a defenseless, innocent baby girl with a charging cord? This barbarism has no place in the U.S.,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
“ICE lodged an immigration detainer to ensure this heinous criminal is not released on U.S. streets. President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States,” she said.
EXCLUSIVE: An illegal Salvadoran national has been arrested in Virginia and charged with felony strangulation of an infant.
He was previously arrested on 8/19/2024 for reckless driving but was released before a detainer could be lodged.
The infant he is accused of strangling… pic.twitter.com/DEkCUBYa9b
— Wid Lyman (@Wid_Lyman) September 22, 2025
The 8-month-old was attacked on Wednesday and died on Tuesday, police said, according to WRC-TV.
“The death of a child is an unbearable loss, and this one has deeply affected the involved family, the community and every first responder that was called to help,” Leesburg Police Chief Thea Pirnat said in a statement.
Pirnat said additional charges will be filed against Mejia-Ayala.
“The entire process may take several months and this is considered a very active investigation,” Pirnat said, according to WTOP-TV.
“Let me be clear, this was not an accident. A child was murdered in a deliberate act,” Pirnat added.
“The 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,” she continued.
Police went to an apartment just after 10:00 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of an infant not breathing, according to WTTG-TV.
Mejia-Ayala had left by the time police arrived.
The Department of Homeland Security release said that Mejia-Ayala was arrested for reckless driving in 2024 but was freed by police before ICE had the chance to lodge a detainer.
NEW: A man who strangled his 8-month-old sister with a charging cable in Leesburg, Virginia last week has just been charged with murder, as the baby passed away this morning after a several-day battle in the hospital.????
The suspect was in the country illegally from El Salvador… pic.twitter.com/swGpzpCDC4
— The DC MD VA Live (@TheDMVLive) September 23, 2025
Mejia-Ayala, a native of El Salvador, came into the U.S. in 2016 “and was released into the country by the Obama administration,” the release said.
“On October 17, 2024, the Biden administration decided to dismiss his immigration case — allowing him to indefinitely remain in the U.S. illegally,” the release noted.
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