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Tennessee man who beat 4-month-old to death after finding out he wasn't child's father had been deported five times

33-year-old Jose Avila-Agurcia, real name Carlos Zuniga-Aviles, is now charged with murder in the death of 4-month-old Alexander Lizondro-Chacon
UPDATED MAR 24, 2020
Carlos Zuniga-Aviles (Source: Shelby County Sheriff's Office)
Carlos Zuniga-Aviles (Source: Shelby County Sheriff's Office)

A man in Tennessee has been accused of beating an infant to death after he discovered that he wasn't the father of the child.

Memphis police have said that 33-year-old Jose Avila-Agurcia is now charged with murder in the death of 4-month-old Alexander Lizondro-Chacon.

WFTS reported that, in an affidavit of complaint that was cited by multiple news outlets, officers responded to a distress call on April 12 of an unresponsive infant. The infant was immediately taken to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead from blunt force trauma to the head.

Jose Avila-Agurcia, real name Carlos Zuniga-Aviles (Source: Shelby County Sheriff's Office)

The affidavit states that Avila-Agurcia became a suspect after the infant's mother, Mercy Lizondro-Chacon, told the investigators that the man had told her that he hit the baby multiple times after he realized that he wasn't the father.

A report by New York Post said that the man had been deported from the country five times in the past, the most recent one being in 2016.

Jose Agurcia-Avila, which is a fake name was used by 33-year-old Honduran national Carlos Zuniga-Aviles, has had multiple aliases that he revealed in Memphis, Tennessee after his arrest in the child's death earlier this month.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials told WMC-TV that ICE officials filed an immigration detainer against the 33-year-old, who had initially been deported to Honduras in February 2010. He was also deported back to his home country in 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016.

The statement reads: "ICE will seek to take him into custody to reinstate his removal order following the resolution of the criminal charges he currently faces. Mr. Zuniga-Aviles has been removed from the US five prior times: his most recent removal by ICE to Honduras took place in December 2016." 

Zuniga-Aviles returned to the US at a later date after he was removed and this is a felony under federal law, according to immigration officials. It's not clear when he returned to the country but he was living with his girlfriend and the mother of the 4-month-old infant at the time of his arrest, WREG reported.

4-month-old Alexander Lizondro-Chacon (Source: Shelby County Sheriff's Office)

The child died of blunt force trauma injuries on April 12 after his mother had called the authorities saying he had breathing problems. He also had pneumonia, as well as a fractured skull and rib. Zuniga-Aviles was later identified as a suspect after the infant's mother told detectives that he had admitted to hitting the baby on the head several times because he was angry that he wasn't the father. 

A medical examiner classified the infant's death as a homicide. Zuniga-Aviles has been in jail without bond on a charge of first-degree murder in perpetration of aggravated child abuse. He will be back in court on May 1.

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