Florida authorities have arrested a couple following a months-long investigative probe into the 2025 death of their three-week-old son. Investigators allege the parents intentionally restrained the infant and later staged the scene to appear as an accidental death during sleep.
Crystal Garcia, 21, and Anfernee Watts, 25, were taken into custody on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Both faces charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child, a first-degree felony. Additional charges include child neglect, tampering with physical evidence, and providing false information to law enforcement.
The investigation began on August 1, 2025, when police responded to a Hollywood residence and found the infant unresponsive in a playpen. While the parents initially claimed the child died in his sleep, a March 2026 report from the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office contradicted their accounts. Dr. Erin Ely determined the cause of death was suffocation and ruled the case a homicide.
According to the arrest affidavit, Garcia allegedly restrained the baby by tightly wrapping him in a blanket, securing a pacifier in his mouth, and strapping him into a car seat. She then placed the infant inside a bathtub and closed the door, playing loud music to drown out his cries for help.
Police reports indicate Garcia willfully ignored the child’s distress for several hours. Upon finding the infant deceased, she allegedly failed to contact emergency services, waiting instead for Watts to return home to coordinate a cover-up.
Detectives uncovered extensive evidence of a coordinated effort to mislead law enforcement. The affidavit details several inconsistencies:
- Fabricated Alibis: Watts allegedly invented a morning job interview to explain his absence, a claim investigators later debunked.
- Scene Manipulation: Surveillance footage captured Garcia disposing of trash and cleaning supplies shortly before the 911 call.
- Forensic Evidence: Responding officers noted a strong odor of bleach and found a blood-spotted changing pad in the playpen where the baby was staged.
Watts later admitted to disposing of baby bottles and other physical evidence. Investigators noted the home had been scrubbed with wipes and bleach just minutes before authorities arrived.
The case took a decisive turn when Garcia began contacting the Hollywood Police Department days after the incident, eventually leaving voice messages admitting she had “lied” and smothered the child.
Both Garcia and Watts are currently held in a Broward County jail pending trial. Court records do not yet list legal representation for the defendants.
