Alexis Flores

Infobox FBI Ten Most Wanted
name = Alexis Flores


crime = Unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, Kidnapping, Murder
birth_date = birth date and age|1975|6|18
death_date =
death_place =
added_date = June 2, 2007
caught_date =
remove_date =
number = 487
status =

Alexis Flores (born June 18, 1975) is a Honduran fugitive who was added to the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on June 2, 2007. Flores is the 487th fugitive to be placed on the list. He replaced Shauntay Henderson, who was captured on 31 March 2007. There is a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Flores' capture offered by the FBI.

Flores is believed to be responsible for the kidnapping and murder of five-year-old Iriana DeJesus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DeJesus disappeared on July 29, 2000, and her body was found five days later on August 3 in an apartment basement wrapped in a trash bag.

At the time, Flores was only identified as "Carlo" or "Carlos", a homeless drifter looking for work, who took shelter after a nearby resident Jorge Contreras offered Carlos shelter, clothing, and work as a handyman. "Carlos" had Jorge's trust, and when Contreras was going out of town, he gave Carlos the keys to the apartment building so he could come and go as he pleased. DeJesus disappeared in the same day. According to the witness, "Carlos" and a little girl were holding hands indicating he had gained her trust.

Police also found a T-shirt bearing a distinct political logo on it near Iriana's body and it had her blood on it. When police questioned Jorge about the shirt, he told them he recognized it as one of the articles of clothing he had lent to Carlos.

The sketch of Flores was profiled on "America's Most Wanted" numerous times as he was wanted for questioning. However, “Carlos” had fled. In addition to official charges, according to a profile of him done on "America's Most Wanted", Flores is also alleged to have raped DeJesus before killing her. [citeweb|url=http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=44983|title=AMW.com Alexis Flores - Fugitive|format=HTML|publisher="America's Most Wanted"|accessdate=2008-06-15]

In November 2004 police went to investigate a minor noise complaint. When they arrived, Flores answered the door and gave them some fake identification. Flores was arrested on forgery charges for possessing a fake ID card, a felony in that state. After being incarcerated for 60 days for Possession of a Forgery Device, Flores was deported. Police say Flores told immigration officials in 2004 he had lived in Schaumburg, Illinois prior to living in Phoenix.

In March 2007, a DNA sample from a convicted criminal in Phoenix, Arizona positively matched to DNA left at the crime scene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The match took so long because there was no DNA sample of Flores until 2006, when his DNA sample was added to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). That sample was the result of a DNA sample taken by the state of Arizona. Prior to Flores being matched by DNA, the only name given to a possible suspect was "Carlos". Whether this was an alias used by Flores or simply speculatory is unknown. [citeweb|url=http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june07/wanted060207.htm|title=New Top Ten Fugitive - Suspect in 2000 Philadelphia Murder|format=HTML|publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation|accessdate=2008-06-15]

The FBI believes he may be in his native Honduras, where he was deported to. [citeweb|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/06/03/sunday/index.html|title=FBI adds child murder suspect to Top 10 list|format=HTML|publisher=CNN|accessdate=2008-06-15] It is also possible he may have returned to the United States, as he was an illegal alien at the time of his forgery arrest.

References

External links

* [http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/flores_a.htm Flores' FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Alert]
* [http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=44983 Flores' profile on "America's Most Wanted"]