A 21-year-old illegal immigrant who is accused of strangling his infant sister with a charging cord is now also being held on an immigration detainer, meaning he won’t have a chance to be released by local police.
Alvaro Mejia Ayala, who lives in Loudoun County, Va., allegedly strangled his infant sister with a white phone charging cord, leaving her in critical condition, and fled the scene, local outlet FOX 5 DC reported.
The horrific assault occurred Sept. 17 at an apartment in Leesburg, Va. Mejia Ayala was charged with a felony count of strangulation, and authorities say additional charges could be filed. As of Monday morning, the infant remained hospitalized in critical condition, Loudoun Now reported.
After learning of the crime and his immigration status, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer for Ayala, who entered the United States with his family in 2016.
“The Biden administration marked this heinous criminal as a non-enforcement priority,” said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
ICE stepped in to ensure he doesn’t get released back onto U.S. streets, the Department of Homeland Security said, calling the attack “barbarism” and vowing to pursue the worst criminal aliens. Ayala remains held without bond pending a Nov. 13 court hearing and an immigration detainer.
“PURE EVIL: This criminal illegal alien STRANGLED AN INFANT with a charging cable,” DHS shared on social media.
PURE EVIL: This criminal illegal alien STRANGLED AN INFANT with a charging cable.@ICEgov lodged a detainer for this monster charged in the strangulation of his infant sister in Loudoun County, Virginia.
We pray for this precious baby girl, who is in critical condition.… pic.twitter.com/BEc4HzYVe4
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 23, 2025
“We pray for this precious baby girl, who is in critical condition. President Trump and Secretary Noem @Sec_Noem will not allow this barbarism in America.”
Leesburg police responded to an apartment in Leesburg, Virginia, just after 10 a.m. Sept. 17 to assist first responders with a report of an infant not breathing. They found the infant unresponsive with a white charging cable around her neck, FOX 5 reported.
When police arrived, Ayala had already fled the scene on foot. Leesburg police said he contacted a friend for a ride, reportedly telling the friend he was “playing with his sister and may have killed her,” according to court documents.
After a five-hour search, with the assistance of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police took Ayala into custody and filed charges last week, Loudoun Now reported during the manhunt.
Ayala and his family were released into the country by the Obama administration. On Oct. 17, 2024, the Biden administration dismissed his immigration case, allowing him to indefinitely remain in the U.S. illegally, DHS said.
“This illegal alien was previously arrested by police for reckless driving in 2024,” DHS said in a news release. “Local police released him before ICE could even lodge a detainer.”
DHS officials said the Trump administration will continue to find, detain and deport heinous illegal criminals.
“What kind of sick monster strangles a defenseless, innocent baby girl with a charging cord?” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
FOX DC 5 reported that even seasoned law enforcement officers say this is a tough case — a baby girl violently strangled, nearly to death.
In the FOX 5 report, an anonymous neighbor called it “scary” and “heartbreaking.”
“It’s really hard to believe something like that would happen. It’s horrible, kind of scary more than anything else,” the neighbor said. “I hope the kid’s okay. I really do. I hope the little one’s all right.”
FOX 5 spoke with an attorney, who said charges could drastically change depending on the outcome of the injured infant.
Jeremy Rosenthal, a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, told FOX 5 that if the child dies, then it becomes a capital case. Virginia does not have the death penalty.
If the child lives, then the strangulation charge could be what’s known as a Class Six felony, which only carries up to five years in prison.
“The biggest single variable in the incident is whether the child dies,” Rosenthal said. “Obviously, I think everybody prays for the baby’s recovery.”
