Leesburg, VA – Alvaro Mejia-Ayala, 21, was arrested Wednesday after allegedly strangling his infant sister with a USB charging cord, authorities said. The child survived but remains in critical condition at a local hospital.
The Incident
The attack occurred at an apartment on Hancock Place Northeast in Leesburg, part of the Washington, D.C., metro area. Police responded around 10 a.m. after receiving a report of an infant not breathing. Investigators quickly determined the child had been strangled, and Mejia-Ayala was identified as the suspect.
Court documents allege that after the attack, Mejia-Ayala contacted a friend, saying he had been “playing with his sister and may have killed her.”
Suspect Search and Arrest
A community alert described Mejia-Ayala wearing a white T-shirt and grey pants with a black stripe. Authorities initially called him a person of interest in an aggravated assault investigation.
After a roughly five-hour search with help from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Mejia-Ayala was arrested around 3:18 p.m. on the 100 block of Meadows Lane Northeast, just a 15-minute walk from the family apartment.
Charges and Court
Mejia-Ayala faces one felony count of strangulation. He is currently held in the Loudoun County Jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 13. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are likely.
No motive has been released at this time.
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