Eleonor Alejandra Marin Mendoza, the subject of Netflix's true crime documentary A Child of My Own, was released from prison in 2023 after serving a 13-year sentence for kidnapping a newborn in 2009. She now lives in Mexico, where she has rekindled her relationship with her ex-husband, Arturo Calderon Gamino.
The Crime and Conviction
Alejandra, a Mexican native, married Arturo at age 17 and suffered multiple miscarriages before undergoing IVF in her 20s. After a miscarriage at 26, she hid it from her family and faked a full-term pregnancy. Working as a hospital administrator, she stole a newborn from the maternity ward, with CCTV showing her leaving with the baby in a large gift bag.
Arturo realized she had not been pregnant after seeing the baby, and authorities tracked the couple down at a hotel in Mexico City hours later. Alejandra was convicted of kidnapping, specifically the illegal deprivation of liberty of a minor, in 2011 and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Arturo was acquitted after spending two years behind bars.
Life After Prison
Filmed two years after her release, the documentary shows Alejandra still residing in Mexico, but her life has changed significantly. She revealed that Arturo wanted to be a father, but she did not want another pregnancy or further treatment. The couple briefly separated, and Arturo had a son with another woman before that relationship ended.
Arturo and Alejandra later reconciled. She said, “It makes me very happy to see him smile and to be fulfilled as a father. It makes me even happier that he sees me in his life as a mother or a parent to his son.” The documentary concludes with the couple playing with Arturo's young son in a park.
A Child of My Own is available to watch on Netflix.
