ICE Presses Virginia to Hold Undocumented Guatemalan Charged in Separate Fairfax County Fatal Stabbing
ICE has pressed Virginia officials to detain 28-year-old Guatemalan national Misael Lopez Gomez, who was arrested in Fairfax County and charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse after his three-month-old daughter died of blunt force trauma, the medical examiner found. DHS says Lopez Gomez admitted to illegally crossing the U.S. border in July 2023, ICE has lodged a detainer, and officials are urging Gov. Abigail Spanberger to honor detainers as part of a broader push linking the case to other recent Fairfax County crimes involving undocumented immigrants.
📌 Key Facts
- 28-year-old Misael Lopez Gomez was arrested Friday in Fairfax County, Virginia, and charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse causing serious injury in the death of his three-month-old daughter.
- The infant was found not breathing and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
- The medical examiner determined the infant’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma.
- The Department of Homeland Security said Lopez Gomez is a Guatemalan national who admitted crossing the New Mexico border illegally in July 2023, and ICE has lodged an immigration detainer with Fairfax County.
- DHS is pressing Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger to have Virginia authorities honor ICE detainers and is linking this infant’s death to a string of recent Fairfax County crimes attributed to illegal immigrants.
📊 Relevant Data
As of July 1, 2024, the Hispanic or Latino population in Fairfax County, Virginia, constitutes 17.1% of the total population, up from 16.8% in 2020.
Fairfax County, Virginia - QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau
Guatemalan migration to the United States has increased due to political and economic instability, violence, poverty, lack of opportunities, agricultural challenges from climate change, and corruption, with significant rises noted since the latter half of the 20th century but continuing into 2025.
Guatemalan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
In the United States in 2022, the child maltreatment victimization rate was 13.2 per 1,000 for Black children (who make up about 14% of the child population), 7.7 per 1,000 for Hispanic children (26% of child population), and 7.6 per 1,000 for White children (50% of child population).
Child Maltreatment 2022 — Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Biden Administration's 2021 Collaborative Migration Management Strategy aimed to address root causes of migration from Central America through socioeconomic, security, and governance improvements, contributing to regional frameworks that influenced migration flows into 2025.
Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy — Congressional Research Service
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies 28-year-old Misael Lopez Gomez as the suspect arrested Friday in Fairfax County, Virginia, and charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse causing serious injury in the death of his three-month-old daughter.
- Reports that the medical examiner determined the infant’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma after she was found not breathing and later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
- DHS told Fox News that Lopez Gomez is a Guatemalan national who admitted to crossing the New Mexico border illegally in July 2023 during the Biden administration, and ICE has lodged an immigration detainer with Fairfax County.
- Notes DHS is pressuring Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger to have Virginia authorities honor ICE detainers, tying this infant murder case to a string of recent Fairfax County crimes attributed to illegal immigrants.