A 19-year-old Virginia man has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 42-year-old co-worker, whom he was allegedly having an affair with. Police believe Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos killed Carmen Lizet Puch after she sent proof of their relationship to his girlfriend.
Puch was found dead last month near a trail in Great Falls Park, with authorities stating her body had been doused in gasoline in an apparent attempt to set it on fire. Cedillos-Campos was arrested days later in Maryland.
According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, Cedillos-Campos became enraged after discovering Puch had sent screenshots of their affair to his girlfriend. A witness reportedly heard Cedillos-Campos on the phone with Puch around 1:30 a.m. on the night of the killing, making plans to meet. Later, around 4 a.m., the witness stated that Cedillos-Campos called them and confessed to the crime, appearing to imply he had killed Puch.
Surveillance video allegedly showed Cedillos-Campos at the restaurant where he and Puch worked, arming himself with a large knife, latex gloves, and a water bottle before leaving with the intent to harm Puch. Police stated he took Puch to Difficult Run Trail Park, where he repeatedly stabbed her and then attempted to set her body on fire using gasoline siphoned from his motorcycle.
Puch's body was discovered by a jogger around 6:45 a.m. the following morning. She was found beside her burgundy Honda Civic, suffering from multiple stab wounds to her upper body. Authorities found a water bottle smelling of gasoline and a cellphone case near the body, but the phone was not recovered. Sources familiar with the investigation indicated that Puch may have been stabbed inside her vehicle.
An autopsy determined the preliminary cause of death to be multiple sharp-force injuries.
Cedillos-Campos, originally from El Salvador, entered the U.S. in 2024 and was apprehended by Customs and Border Protection but later released, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS officials have called for Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger to transfer Cedillos-Campos to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Colleagues at Bitez restaurant, where Cedillos-Campos and Puch worked, expressed shock at the killing. Abdul Anwari, the owner, described Puch as soft-spoken and hardworking, devoted to her three-year-old daughter. A GoFundMe page has been established to assist with funeral expenses and support for her daughter.