The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has announced the arrest of Arnold Noe Santos Deras, 21, on multiple charges, including the murder of an unborn child. This follows a domestic assault incident that resulted in a 15-week stillbirth.
According to CMPD’s official news release, officers responded on November 2, 2025, to a domestic assault call at Farmhurst Drive in the Steele Creek Division. A female victim reported being physically assaulted by her boyfriend but declined hospital transport. The following day, the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner informed Homicide Unit detectives that the victim had delivered a stillborn fetus at a local hospital. Detectives subsequently opened a homicide investigation linked to the unborn child’s death.
The release further states that officers initially obtained warrants for Santos Deras on charges including Assault on a Female and Battery of an Unborn Child after the initial response. On November 6, Santos Deras surrendered at the Eastway Division and was interviewed before being transferred to Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s custody. He now faces additional charges such as Breaking and Entering and Murder of an Unborn Child.
North Carolina’s “Unborn Victims of Violence Act – Ethen’s Law” recognizes an unborn child as a separate victim when violent crimes are committed against pregnant women. The North Carolina General Assembly notes that offenses like murder and manslaughter of an unborn child carry penalties similar to those for crimes against born persons.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is one of the largest municipal law enforcement agencies in the Southeast, serving over 900,000 residents in Charlotte and unincorporated Mecklenburg County. CMPD operates several patrol divisions and specialized units to handle serious cases and protect vulnerable victims.
