A man is sitting in jail tonight after police say he kidnapped a little girl who was just playing outside her house—and then killed her, according to authorities.
Alexis Flores, 51, is now facing serious charges, including murder, kidnapping for ransom, interference with the custody of children, and false imprisonment, court records show.
He spent years on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list before police finally caught up with him earlier this year. This week, he was sent back to Philadelphia to face justice.
The story goes back more than 25 years.
It was July 29, 2000. Five-year-old Iriana DeJesus was outside, playing near her home on the 3900 block of North Fairhill Street. Then she vanished. Her mom called the police right away, and investigators jumped into action.
Five days later, they made a heartbreaking discovery. Iriana’s body was found wrapped in wallpaper, inside an empty building just one block from her house, according to WPVI, a local ABC news station. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
For seven long years, police had almost nothing to go on. Then DNA changed everything.
The FBI explained back then that Flores was an “itinerant worker with ties to Honduras and a criminal history that stretches to Arizona.” Investigators believe he lived in the very building where Iriana’s body turned up.
“She was last seen with a Hispanic male who allegedly told people he was from Honduras and was seeking work and a place to stay,” the FBI said. “Flores allegedly disappeared from the area at the same time the girl was reported missing.”
Leads were scarce until agents got a huge break: a DNA sample from a convict in Arizona matched evidence from the Philadelphia crime scene. Turns out Flores had already served time in Arizona for forgery. After he got out in 2005, he was deported to Honduras.
Once police connected the dots, they charged him with murder and other crimes. But the case went quiet again for years.
Everything changed in February 2026, when the FBI announced Flores had finally been arrested in Honduras. He tried to fight being sent back to the U.S., but authorities didn’t give up—and this week, he landed back in Philadelphia.
“The passage of time does not diminish our resolve or perseverance in the pursuit of justice,” said Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia, in a press release dated Feb. 13.
“The arrest of Alexis Flores is the culmination of 25 years of tireless investigative effort and the strength of our partnerships across departments.
Through this sustained collaboration and the support of our law enforcement partners, both domestically and internationally, the day is now here.”
Officials say this case proves that cold cases should never be forgotten.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to apprehend fugitives who flee the jurisdiction to evade state prosecution,” said David Metcalf, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“No matter how long it takes or how far they may run, when it comes to a heinous crime like this, justice will be waiting.”
Flores was arraigned Monday, court records show. His next court date—a preliminary hearing—is set for Sept. 14.
