A Cuban national now faces charges of child abuse and deportation, after allegedly pouring hot wax onto her children and posting videos on her Instagram account.
The suspect, Meliza Campos-Sanchez, is also accused of setting a fire in the kitchen of her Miami home and exhibiting other bizarre behavior she shared on social media, police sad.
The 26-year-old mother and social media influencer was arrested Aug. 16 on charges including two counts child abuse with no great bodily harm, child neglect and arson, Miami-Dade jail records showed.
Campos-Sanchez illegally entered the United States through Florida in May 2022 during the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
Upon her arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer with the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center asking officials in Miami to not release her.
BREAKING: Meliza Campos-Sanchez, the woman who was arrested for child ab*se and arson after filming herself starting a fire in her kitchen and pouring hot wax on her child, now has an ICE hold.
Every. Single. Time. pic.twitter.com/xNiDwisHY0
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 20, 2026
“If it weren’t for the Biden Administration’s reckless open-border policies, criminals like this woman would have never been able to enter our country,” DHS officials said, dubbing her a “Miami Menace.” “We will work with our partners in Florida to make sure she is removed from our country after she faces justice.”
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies initially responded to a call about an intentional fire that was set. They found Campos-Sanchez at the scene and she taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, known as a Baker Act, NBC6 Miami reported.
Deputies arrested Campos-Sanchez after they discovered two videos posted on her Instagram account capturing the alleged child abuse and kitchen fire. Her account has over 85,000 followers.
Campos-Sanchez can be seen wearing a mask and shouting expletives at the camera and allegedly committing crimes against her two daughters, ages 6 and 3.
One video shows her dancing around in a silver mask while holding a lighter and pouring a liquid onto a pile of clothes before lighting them on fire. Police believe the bottle contained rubbing alcohol, according to the arrest report.
In the second video, she is in the kitchen and uses lit candles to pour melted wax on her leg and then on the hands of her two daughters.
Investigators allegedly found the mask, flammable liquid and lighter at the scene when responding to the fire.
According to various reports, Campos-Sanchez’s oldest daughter told police the siblings witnessed their mother light a fire in the kitchen and throw a glass mug onto the floor while dancing. She reportedly extinguishing the fire with a bowl of water.
She also claimed that her mother poured hot wax from a candle onto her and her sister. In the video, her oldest daughter looks frightened and starts to cry at one point.
During Campos-Sanchez’s initial court appearance on Friday, Aug. 21, family members came to her defense and raised concerns about her mental health. Campos Sanchez appeared to smile, giggle and make a heart with her hands.
In another NBC6 report, her husband, Yusniel Cue, said he called police three times, but they said they couldn’t help until she committed a crime.
Campos-Sanchez’s husband told investigators they were having marital issues and he was staying with his parents while his wife stayed at the house with their children, the arrest affidavit states.
People.com reported one of Campos-Sanchez’s friends tipped Cue off to the videos, and he contacted police.
Cue also told police that Campos-Sanchez recently had attempted suicide. He called the sheriff’s office during the previous week because he was concerned about his children, the affidavit alleges.
Prosecutors planned to request the mother be held in jail until trial. However, the hearing was postponed after her defense attorneys raised concerns about Campos Sanchez’s mental health.
Judge Christine Hernandez ordered two competency evaluations. The defendant will remain in jail pending the results of those tests, NBC6 reported.
