Where Is Arturo Calderón Now? What Happened to Alejandra’s Husband After ‘A Child of My Own’

Netflix’s new true-crime documentary A Child of My Own tells the extraordinary story of Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, who faked a pregnancy for months before kidnapping a newborn baby from a Mexican hospital.But Alejandra wasn’t alone when police tracked her down. Her husband, Arturo Calderón Gamiño, was arrested alongside her and spent more than two years in prison—despite maintaining that he had believed Alejandra really was pregnant and knew nothing about her plans beforehand.So, what happened to Arturo, did he stay with Alejandra, and where is he now?Jump to:Who is Arturo Calderón from A Child of My Own?Did Arturo know Alejandra was faking her pregnancy?Why did Arturo go to prison?Did Arturo wait for Alejandra while she was in prison?Where is Arturo Calderón now?Are Arturo and Alejandra still together?Who is Arturo Calderón from A Child of My Own?Arturo Calderón Gamiño is Alejandra Mendoza’s husband. The couple married on July 29, 2000, when Alejandra was 17 and pregnant, though the pregnancy sadly ended in miscarriage. They continued trying for a child for years, during which Alejandra experienced further pregnancy loss.In A Child of My Own, Arturo acknowledges how badly he wanted to become a biological father—and the pressure that placed on his wife. “At some point I did put pressure on her,” Arturo says. “I said I want to be a dad and I want to have a kid [biologically].”When adoption was discussed, Arturo told Alejandra he didn’t believe it would be “the same.”Did Arturo know Alejandra was faking her pregnancy?According to Arturo and Alejandra, no—he believed his wife was genuinely pregnant (and when the case went to trial, he was acquitted of any involvement).After Alejandra suffered another miscarriage, she chose not to tell Arturo she had lost their baby. Instead, she deliberately gained weight and continued pretending to be pregnant.She fabricated medical documents and even obtained maternity leave after attending an appointment with Arturo where a doctor attempted to listen for the supposed baby’s heartbeat.Courtesy of Netflix / 2026Perhaps the most striking evidence of Arturo’s apparent belief comes from footage he filmed the night before Alejandra was supposedly due to give birth; he sounds excited at the thought of meeting their baby, seemingly unaware his wife’s large stomach was the result of deliberate weight gain.Arturo apparently discovered the truth only after Alejandra had taken Mayra’s newborn daughter from the hospital; Alejandra says she encountered Arturo outside and confessed that she’d lost their baby but had been “given” another one.The couple went to a motel, where Alejandra says Arturo was furious, and hours later, armed police stormed their room and recovered the baby.Why did Arturo go to prison?Arturo was arrested alongside Alejandra and initially considered her accomplice, despite Alejandra maintaining that he hadn’t known about her plans. He spent two years and six months in prison before being acquitted following his trial.The experience had a profound impact on him, with Arturo saying prison broke him “emotionally and physically, in every way.” He also speaks candidly about the rage he felt toward his wife after discovering what she’d done. “She did something unforgivable in that moment, the only feeling was rage,” he says.He began questioning not only their future, but their entire marriage.Add Cosmopolitan as a preferred source in your Google search results.Use your Google account to add this to your settings.“I kept thinking, ‘Will this have legal consequences, will it kill my love for her, should we divorce because of this lie, because this is not my baby, because she’s not a good wife?’”But the longer Arturo spent behind bars, the more his feelings began to change. “In jail you have a lot of time to think,” he explains. “I was starting to soften and I started to talk more with Ale.”The pair eventually decided to try to repair their marriage. Arturo wrote to Alejandra, telling her he loved her with all his heart and promising to work toward earning enough money for them to potentially pursue IVF or surrogacy.Arturo was eventually acquitted and released, although he says he remains “left with the scar” of his imprisonment. Alejandra remained behind bars for more than another decade.Did Arturo wait for Alejandra while she was in prison?Yes. The couple maintained their relationship while Alejandra served the remainder of her 13-year sentence. Towards the end of A Child of My Own, Arturo visits Alejandra as her release approaches, joking that people have been teasing him because his wife is coming home and his “bachelor days” will soon be over.But by the time Alejandra left prison, her attitude toward motherhood had changed dramatically, which caused problems for the couple. “During my thirteen years in prison, I have focussed on accepting not being a mom,” she says. “Before, I think my desire to be a mom was more about pleasing others.”When Arturo confessed he still wanted a child, Alejandra told him to go and “find his happiness” and the couple separated.Where is Arturo Calderón now?Arturo is now out of prison and is a father to a son. Following his separation from Alejandra, Arturo had a short relationship with another woman which resulted in the birth of his child…but it wasn’t the end of his relationship with Alejandra.Are Arturo and Alejandra still together?Yes. According to A Child of My Own, Arturo and Alejandra eventually reconciled.After becoming a father, Arturo went looking for Alejandra. “We talked, he told me everything that had happened,” Alejandra recalls. “He told me he missed me a lot, he loved me, wanted me in his life.”Alejandra says she is now also seen as a parent to Arturo’s son.