Loudoun County Man Accused Of Strangling Infant

LEESBURG, VA — A Leesburg man is facing charges after authorities said he strangled an infant, leaving the child in critical condition.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Leesburg police were called to the unit block of Hancock Place Northeast for a report of an infant not breathing.

The child was taken to an area hospital for treatment, police said.

Investigators later learned the infant had been a victim of an assault. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Alvaro Mejia Ayala of Leesburg, fled the scene on foot before officers arrived.

With the assistance of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Mejia Ayala was located around 3:20 p.m. in the area of the 100 block of Meadows Lane Northeast.

Mejia Ayala was charged with strangulation, according to police.

The investigation is ongoing, police said, and additional charges are possible.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Leesburg Police Department at 703-771-4500 or anonymously at 703-443-TIPS (8477).