Florida Couple Charged with Infant Son's Murder and Staging Death

Crystal Garcia, aged 21, and Anfernee Watts, aged 25, were taken into custody on April 8, 2026, facing charges related to the death of their infant son in August 2025. According to an arrest affidavit, investigators believe the couple provided inconsistent and false accounts to law enforcement in an effort to hide the true events leading to their child's demise at their residence in Hollywood, Florida.

Emergency services were dispatched to the couple's home on the afternoon of August 1, after Garcia initially reported discovering the baby unresponsive in his playpen. At the time, Watts informed investigators he had left for a job interview that morning, a claim authorities later found to be untrue.

Garcia stated that after Watts departed, she attended to the baby, feeding and changing him before placing him down to rest and taking a nap herself. Upon waking, she visited her mother elsewhere in the home. Upon returning to her room, she noticed something was amiss with the infant.

Garcia recounted attempting to rouse the child by touching his eye, but he did not respond. Despite this, she did not immediately contact emergency services or inform anyone else, including her mother, stating she did not want to cause her mother distress.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the child did not pass away in his sleep. In March, the official cause of death was determined to be suffocation. Investigators presented evidence suggesting Garcia deliberately restrained the infant by wrapping him tightly in a blanket, securing him in a car seat, and placing a pacifier in his mouth.

Furthermore, Garcia is accused of placing the car seat in a bathtub, closing the bathroom door, and playing loud music to mask any sounds the baby might have made. Police documented in the affidavit that after observing the baby was unresponsive and appeared deceased, Garcia failed to seek immediate medical help and instead engaged in efforts to mislead law enforcement. The affidavit also indicated that both Garcia and Watts were complicit in concealing the incident.

During the investigative process, authorities noted the home had been recently cleaned with bleach and wipes, and certain items within the rooms appeared to have been moved or removed. Watts reportedly admitted to discarding baby bottles and other items. Surveillance footage also captured Garcia holding cleaning supplies and disposing of garbage approximately 30 minutes before she contacted 911.

Investigators observed a disposable changing pad with apparent blood stains, and the residence carried a strong odor of bleach. Watts had attributed the bleach smell to an accidental spill prior to the arrival of emergency personnel.

Watts' mother also informed the police that three days after the infant's death, Garcia had confessed to fabricating the initial story. Around the same time, Garcia began repeatedly contacting the police department to "clarify" the information she had previously provided.

In recorded voice messages, Garcia allegedly admitted to lying and expressed a desire to confess to smothering the baby.

In addition to manslaughter, Garcia and Watts are facing charges including child neglect resulting in great bodily harm, tampering with physical evidence, failure to report a death to a medical examiner, and knowingly providing false information to law enforcement during an investigation. The couple is currently being held at the Broward County Jail awaiting trial.