When you bring a newborn home, it can be difficult for some parents to adjust to all the changes, but most are able to come at things from a loving and nurturing place because their little baby’s life depends on it. Sadly, that was not the case for a 3-week-old baby boy in Florida. Both of his parents have been arrested in relation to the death of their son after allegedly leaving their baby strapped in a car seat in the bathtub, resulting in suffocation. On top of everything else, the couple reportedly tried to weave a bunch of lies to allow themselves to appear innocent to authorities.
A young Florida couple has been charged in the murder of their 3-week-old son.
A couple in Hollywood, Florida, has been accused of killing their 3-week-old baby boy and staging his death to make it look like he died in his sleep, according to WKRC.
Crystal Garcia, 21, and Anfernee Watts, 25, were arrested on April 8, 2026, and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child stemming from the August 2025 death of their newborn son, per the news outlet. According to an arrest warrant obtained by People, the couple allegedly “provided multiple false and inconsistent statements to law enforcement in an attempt to conceal the true circumstances” surrounding the death of their 3-week-old.
Emergency services were called to the couple’s residence on August 1, 2025, after Garcia initially told police that her son was found unresponsive in his playpen, WKRC reported. Police later discovered that was not at all what happened.
Officials discovered that the baby did not die in his sleep.
According to WPLG, police say that investigators have found that Garcia and Watts lied about what happened with their baby the day that he died.
Court records state that the couple claimed that Watts left the home to go to a job interview early in the morning and came back to find Garcia, who said the baby was unresponsive and cold to the touch, the news outlet reported.
That story was discovered to be made up as Watts never left the house that day. Garcia allegedly admitted to police that she wrapped her crying son up in a blanket, put a pacifier in his mouth, and strapped him in a car seat and placed it in the bathtub, per WPLG. The couple then apparently proceeded to sleep for seven hours and played music to drown out their son’s cries.
It’s absolutely heinous behavior, especially considering this was their newborn child.
The couple then disposed of multiple baby items, and the house smelled of bleach.
According to WKRC, during the investigation, authorities noted that the home where Garcia and Watts were living had been “recently cleaned using bleach and wipes, and items within the room appeared altered or removed.”
Watts also allegedly admitted to police that he got rid of baby bottles, and Garcia could be seen on video surveillance footage holding cleaning supplies and throwing out garbage about 30 minutes before she called 911, per WKRC. Blood spotting also was found within the home by investigators, including on a disposable changing pad.
Three days after the baby’s death, Watts’ mom told police that Garcia admitted to lying about the events of that day, People reported. In March 2026, the newborn’s cause of death was found to be suffocation and was ruled a homicide.
Watts and Garcia also have a 2-year-old daughter, WPLG reported. According to the arrest warrant obtained by the news outlet, Watts’ mother has had custody of the girl since she was 5 months old after the baby tested positive for THC at birth.
This situation is incredibly heartbreaking, especially for the family members who are left to pick up the pieces. Our thoughts are with them at this time.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
