Police are investigating a 22-year-old man for the alleged murder of his 2-month-old.

Mayalen Rios was pronounced dead Wednesday, two days after she was admitted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Officers had responded to a call that the baby was not breathing, Gwinnett County police spokesman Jake Smith said in a statement.

According to medical personnel, the baby’s injuries did not appear accidental and were consistent with shaken baby syndrome, Smith said.

A day after the child was admitted to the hospital, police arrested her father, Hiker Rios, on the charge of first-degree cruelty to children, according to the statement.

Following an autopsy Friday, Mayalen Rios’ death is now being investigated as a homicide, Smith said. Hiker Rios is being held without bail at the Gwinnett County Detention Center facing a charge of felony murder.

In other news:

The video was taken on July 4.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Flights are shown cancelled on a screen at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport domestic terminal in Atlanta on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Cancellations at the Atlanta airport got worse over the weekend, as about 370 flights were canceled Saturday and about another 470 more by Sunday. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. It was the first day the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com