A young couple has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of their three-week-old son, whom authorities say was killed and later made to appear as though he died in his sleep.
Crystal Garcia, 21, and Anfernee Watts, 25, were taken into custody on April 8, 2026, and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child following the August 2025 incident.
According to investigators, the couple initially gave misleading accounts of what happened at their home in Hollywood, Florida, where emergency responders were called on August 1 after Garcia reported finding the infant unresponsive in his playpen.
Authorities said Watts had claimed he left home early that morning for a job interview, but later findings suggested this was untrue. Garcia, on her part, told police she had fed and cared for the baby before putting him down to sleep and taking a nap. She said she later discovered something was wrong when she returned to check on him.
However, investigators found inconsistencies in their statements and said Garcia failed to immediately seek help after noticing the baby was unresponsive. She reportedly delayed calling emergency services and did not inform others in the home, including her mother.
Further investigations revealed that the infant did not die naturally. In March, officials ruled the cause of death as suffocation.
Police allege that Garcia restrained the baby by tightly wrapping him in a blanket, strapping him into a car seat and securing a pacifier in his mouth. She is also accused of placing the car seat in a bathtub, shutting the bathroom door and playing loud music to drown out the infant’s cries.
Authorities said that after realising the child was unresponsive, Garcia did not seek medical assistance but instead participated in staging the scene to mislead investigators. Watts is also accused of being involved in efforts to conceal the circumstances surrounding the death.
Investigators noted signs of a cleanup at the home, including the use of bleach and wipes, and reported that items had been altered or removed. Watts allegedly admitted to disposing of baby bottles and other materials, while surveillance footage reportedly showed Garcia discarding trash and handling cleaning supplies shortly before calling 911.
Police also observed what appeared to be blood spots on a disposable changing pad, while the home reportedly smelled strongly of bleach. Watts had initially claimed the smell was due to an accidental spill.
In addition, Watts’ mother told authorities that Garcia admitted days after the incident that she had lied about the events. Garcia later made repeated attempts to contact police to “clarify” her earlier statements, allegedly confessing in voice messages that she had smothered the baby.
Both suspects are also facing multiple additional charges, including child neglect causing great bodily harm, evidence tampering, failure to report a death to a medical examiner, and providing false information to law enforcement.
Garcia and Watts are currently being held at the Broward County Jail as they await trial.
