Salvadoran National Charged With Murder After Infant Sister Strangled in Virginia
Alvaro Mejia-Ayala, a 22-year-old national of El Salvador, faces murder charges in Leesburg, Virginia, stemming from the death of his 8-month-old sister in September 2025. Authorities allege that Mejia-Ayala strangled the infant with a phone charging cable. The child was discovered unresponsive and transported to a medical facility in critical condition, where she subsequently died from her injuries.
According to court filings, Mejia-Ayala fled the residence immediately following the incident but was apprehended by police later that day. He reportedly admitted to a witness that he had been “playing with his sister” and feared he may have killed her. Legal observers suggest his defense counsel will likely leverage this statement to argue that the death was an unintended accident rather than a premeditated homicide, challenging the intent required for a murder conviction. Mejia-Ayala is currently being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
Background checks into the suspect’s history revealed that Mejia-Ayala is an undocumented immigrant who entered the United States as a minor in 2016. While he was initially placed in removal proceedings, reports indicate his immigration case was dismissed in October 2024, effectively allowing him to remain in the country. Following his arrest for the death of his sister, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a formal detainer against him, indicating federal intent to take custody for deportation proceedings once the criminal case concludes.
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