Little Girl's Murder Rocks Philadelphia

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Alexis Flores -- the suspected rapist and murderer of 5-year-old Iriana DeJesus.

On the hot summer evening of July 29, 2000, 5-year-old Iriana DeJesus was out and about in her North Philadelphia neighborhood, riding her bike and having fun with her sister, Ayana.

While her daughters played, Mota DeJesus went to pick up some food she'd ordered across the street. According to police, Mota was only gone a few minutes -- but when she returned,  Iriana was nowhere to be found. A search for the adorable little girl went on for days as the community rallied together, hopeful she'd be found quickly.

But on Aug 3., when the badly decomposed body of a child was found in an empty apartment building near where Iriana went missing, the tight-knit neighborhood's worst fears were confirmed: The body was Iriana's.

Heartache and outrage quickly set in. The innocent child had been raped, strangled, wrapped in a trash bag and left under some heavy rolls of carpeting in an apartment building nearby.

Neighborhood protesters turned their anger toward a good Samaritan named Jorge Contreras, who cops say thought he was helping out a stranger in need -- a homeless man who called himself "Carlos."

Cops say Jorge offered Carlos shelter, clothing, and work as a handyman in his apartment building -- and Carlos gladly accepted the offer. According to Jorge, Carlos worked only three days -- Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. That Saturday, Jorge told Carlos he was going out of town, and gave Carlos the keys to the apartment building so he could come and go as he pleased. That's the day Iriana disappeared, and when cops went to talk to Carlos, they discovered he was long gone.

Cops say a little girl from the neighborhood reported seeing Iriana walking with a Hispanic man toward the apartment building the evening she disappeared. According to the witness, they were holding hands, indicating the man she was with had somehow gained her trust -- just as Carlos had gained Jorge's trust earlier that week.

Police also found a T-shirt bearing a distinct political logo 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'd lent to Carlos.

All clues pointed to Carlos as the killer. Unfortunately, the last time Jorge had seen Carlos was the day Iriana went missing.

AMW, DNA Warm Up Search For Suspect

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Cops say this is what Flores may have looked like in 2000 when the gruesome crime against Iriana took place. Police say he was a drifter at the time without access to regular food and shelter, which could explain why his face looks thinner.

Days later, AMW sent composite artist Jeanne Boylan to Philadelphia to help police create a sketch of "Carlos." They focused on facial features: a mole or bump on the side of his face and a scar on his neck and forehead. Tips poured in from as far away as Peru.

Philadelphia police entered DNA found near Iriana's body into CODIS, a national database, hoping there'd be a match from another crime or a suspect. But as the years passed, tips started to wane, and the case went ice cold.

DNA Match Gives Police A Name And A Suspect

That changed seven years later when the FBI got an unexpected and incredible break in the case. In a flash, they went from having no real evidence in the case to having a named suspect with forensic proof.

In March 2007, a DNA sample from a convicted criminal in Phoenix came back as a match to the DNA found at Iriana's crime scene. The man's name wasn't Carlos -- it was Alexis Flores -- but there was no denying that his DNA fit the bill.

According to the FBI, Flores was arrested in 2002 in Arizona for shoplifting, then arrested again in 2004. At the time, Phoenix cops were called to an apartment complex to investigate a noise complaint.

When they arrived, Flores answered the door and gave them fake identification. Police realized it was fake, and arrested him on a forgery charge -- a felony.

And in Arizona, every felon is automatically swabbed for their DNA.

Flores' sample was entered into CODIS in 2006, but the process of entering DNA is a long one and by the time the match was made in March 2007, Flores was long gone.

Where Is Flores?

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Investigators say Flores is originally from Honduras and may still have ties there. They believe Flores and Carlos are definitely the same man. Flores is believed to be armed and very dangerous.

Now that they know who their suspect is, police say they're determined to locate Flores and bring him to justice for the horrific murder of little Iriana.

If you've seen Alexis Flores or know where he is, you've got to call our Hotline at 1-800-CRIME-TV. Remember: You can remain anonymous.