Illegal immigrant charged with abusing her kids, setting fire in house while making mental health defense
Meliza Campos-Sanchez, a Cuban illegal immigrant, faces child abuse and arson charges after videos show her pouring hot wax on her young daughter.
A Cuban illegal immigrant is facing child-abuse, child-neglect and arson charges after authorities say she poured hot wax on one of her young daughters and set a fire inside her Miami home.
Meliza Campos-Sanchez is facing two counts of child neglect, one count of child abuse and an arson charge stemming from an Aug. 16 incident, authorities said She will undergo a court-ordered mental-competency evaluation.
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies responded Sunday to a report of an intentional fire inside the kitchen of a Miami home, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.
Investigators subsequently found that Campos, a social media influencer with 87,000 Instagram followers, had uploaded videos in which she appeared to pour melted candle wax on herself and on the hands of at least one of her daughters. In a separate video, she allegedly sang and danced in the kitchen before igniting clothing with a lighter.
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According to the complaint, Sanchez allegedly told the two girls – ages 3 and 6 – "not to be scared" before putting a drop of hot candle wax onto one daughter's hand. The affidavit notes that the child had no visible injuries from the incident.
According to the complaint, one child allegedly told an arson-squad detective that she and her sister saw their mother burn a shirt, starting a fire while they were inside the residence.
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Following Campos' arrest, officers did not interview her because she was sedated.
The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer with the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center the day after her arrest, asking local officials to notify federal immigration authorities before releasing her so ICE could potentially take her into custody.
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Campos illegally entered the United States through Florida in May 2022 under the Biden Administration, ICE said.
"This Cuban illegal alien is charged with child abuse and arson after she poured hot wax onto one of her own children and then lit a fire in her home," said a DHS spokesperson. "If it weren’t for the Biden Administration’s reckless open-border policies, criminals like this woman would have never been able to enter our country. ICE has lodged a detainer asking Miami officials to not release this criminal from jail. We will work with our partners in Florida to make sure she is removed from our country after she faces justice."
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In her initial court appearance, Campos' defense sought a competency evaluation, and the judge ordered evaluations by two Spanish-speaking doctors.
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The court-mandated mental health evaluation came after Campos' husband said he had previously sought help and called police because he was concerned about her mental state and relatives said she had been prescribed medication but stopped taking it.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Campos' court-appointed attorney for comment.