Leesburg Infant Dies; Brother Charged, ICE Detainer

An 8-month-old girl in Leesburg, Virginia, who was found Sept. 17 in a home with a charging cord around her neck died Sept. 23 after being hospitalized in critical condition, police said. Her 22-year-old brother, Alvaro Mejia Ayala, fled the scene but was located hours later and was initially charged with strangulation; Leesburg police said he will face murder and other charges. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer seeking to hold Mejia Ayala so federal authorities can take custody, and officials said he had previously been released after an earlier arrest before ICE could lodge a detainer. Police are withholding the child's name at the family's request and have asked anyone with information to contact the Leesburg Police Department as the investigation remains active.