Overview

• An 8-month-old girl died just after midnight Tuesday following a Sept. 17 assault in Leesburg, Virginia, according to police.
• Alvaro Mejia Ayala, 22, was arrested the day of the incident, initially charged with felony strangulation, and held without bond as police say additional counts will include murder.
• Responding officers found the baby unresponsive with a white charging cable around her neck, and Mejia Ayala was located hours later after leaving the scene.
• ICE lodged an immigration detainer, and DHS said he entered the U.S. with family in 2016 from El Salvador and saw his immigration case dismissed in October 2024; DHS also noted a 2024 reckless-driving arrest that ended in local release.
• Leesburg’s police chief called the killing a deliberate act and said the investigation remains active, with a court hearing expected in November.