A 19-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing a colleague to death near Washington DC, with police documents now revealing that the killing came hours after the victim reportedly sent screenshots exposing their affair to his girlfriend.
An illegal immigrant has been charged with murdering a colleague after she allegedly exposed their affair to his girlfriend. Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, 19, was arrested in connection with the stabbing death of 42-year-old Carmen Lizet Puch, whose body was found roughly 15 miles outside Washington DC. Fairfax County prosecutors told the court on Monday that a witness, identified as a co-worker, told police Cedillos-Campos had said he wanted to kill Puch after she sent screenshots of their relationship to his girlfriend.
What police allege happened
According to police documents, the co-worker told detectives that Cedillos-Campos left work early on the Sunday before the killing, apparently after learning the screenshots had been sent to his girlfriend. The same witness said Cedillos-Campos became angry upon discovering this and stated he intended to kill Puch.
At around 1.30am on 17 August, the witness allegedly overheard Cedillos-Campos and Puch arranging to meet. Surveillance footage from Bitez, the halal restaurant in Herndon, Virginia, where the pair worked together, is said to corroborate this account, showing Cedillos-Campos taking a kitchen knife, black latex gloves and a water bottle from the premises before leaving. Investigators also obtained phone records supporting the timing of the alleged 1.30am call between the two.
At around 4am, Cedillos-Campos allegedly called the same co-worker, admitting “he did it” before abruptly hanging up. According to a criminal complaint obtained by WJLA, the witness interpreted this as a confession to killing Puch.
Discovery of the body
A jogger discovered Puch’s body at around 6.45am, lying next to her 2011 Honda Civic in Difficult Run Park in Great Falls, Virginia. Police recovered black latex gloves and an empty water bottle smelling of petrol at the scene, and reported that Puch’s body also smelled of petrol. Investigators believe the fuel had been siphoned from a motorcycle and used in an attempt to burn her body.
A preliminary autopsy conducted on 18 August determined that Puch died from multiple sharp-force injuries, with the manner of death classified as homicide.
Fairfax County Police Chief’s account
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis described the killing in stark terms, saying: “Our victim suffered numerous stab wounds in a really brutal, unspeakable way.” He went on to detail the evidence gathered from surveillance footage: “We have video footage of our suspect at the restaurant where he worked with our victim, arming himself with a fixed blade knife, taking a pair of black latex gloves, taking a water bottle, and then off he goes with the intent to do harm and kill the victim.”
Davis said investigators believed the footage indicated clear premeditation, describing the incident as “all very premeditated,” and added: “The way that she was treated by this killer was reprehensible.”
Police say Cedillos-Campos subsequently gave detectives a full confession during a homicide interview, though it should be noted this remains a police allegation, and he has been charged rather than convicted at this stage.
Arrest and legal proceedings
Cedillos-Campos was arrested in Lanham, Maryland, on 19 August, two days after the killing. Police said he attempted to flee when officers approached him. Following his arrest, federal immigration authorities placed an ICE detainer on Cedillos-Campos, requesting that he not be released from local custody.
He faces a charge of second-degree murder and is being held without bond. His next scheduled court appearance is 30 November, according to court records.
Immigration background
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Cedillos-Campos entered the United States illegally near El Paso, Texas, in April 2024, and was apprehended by Customs and Border Protection at the time before subsequently being released into the country.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has publicly criticised the Biden administration over that earlier release and has called on Virginia authorities to cooperate with ICE. It is worth noting that this reflects the department’s stated political position rather than an independent finding that the earlier release caused the killing. A DHS spokesperson separately said: “Biden and Mayorkas hand-delivered alleged killer Cedillos-Campos to the streets of Fairfax County.”
Tributes to Carmen Puch
Carmen Puch was described by officials as a “loving mother of a 3-year-old girl.” Her daughter is now being cared for by family members following her death.
Bitez owner Abdul Anwari spoke to NBC Washington about the impact of the killing on the restaurant, saying: “I don’t know if you can process something like this. It’s not something you expect. It’s not something that anyone would ever want to happen. But you know, we’re still taking it minute at a time.”
