A Virginia mother was found stabbed to death near a popular hiking area earlier this week, and authorities say the investigation has uncovered a disturbing connection between the victim and the teenager accused of killing her.
Carmen Lizet Puch, 42, was discovered unconscious in a parking lot at Difficult Run Park in Great Falls, Va., during the early morning hours of Monday, Aug. 17. Authorities later determined that she had suffered fatal stab wounds.
Puch, who lived in Reston, leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter.
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Within two days of the discovery, investigators arrested 19-year-old Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos in connection with the killing. He is facing a second-degree murder charge and is being held at the Prince George’s County Jail, according to Fairfax County police.
But investigators say the case was not a random attack.
At a news conference, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis and Assistant Chief Rachel Levy revealed that Puch and Cedillos-Campos were allegedly involved in an “intimate relationship.” The two also worked together at a local restaurant.
That revelation has added another layer to a case that initially began with a disturbing discovery at the Virginia park.
According to police, Puch and Cedillos-Campos met at the park shortly before the alleged attack. Davis said investigators believe the teenager repeatedly stabbed Puch before allegedly attempting to burn her body.
Police say Cedillos-Campos allegedly poured gasoline on Puch and tried to set her on fire, although the attempt was unsuccessful.
Investigators also believe the attack may have been planned in advance.
According to police, Cedillos-Campos allegedly left the restaurant that morning carrying a stolen knife, gloves and a water bottle. Authorities believe he later emptied the bottle and used it to siphon gasoline from his motorcycle.
Those details, investigators say, helped establish their theory that Puch’s death was not the result of a spontaneous confrontation.
Instead, authorities allege that Cedillos-Campos prepared for the encounter before arriving at the park.
The investigation reportedly moved quickly after Puch was discovered.
Police responding to the scene found her in the parking lot near the hiking trails, while her vehicle was parked nearby. Detectives began examining the circumstances surrounding her death and ultimately identified Cedillos-Campos as a suspect.
Authorities arrested him less than 48 hours after Puch was found.
Davis described Puch as a “loving mother” and emphasized the impact her death has had on those who knew her.
“The way that she was treated by this killer was reprehensible, to say the least,” Davis told reporters.
The police chief also said that Cedillos-Campos was allegedly “fully confessing to our detectives.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against Cedillos-Campos have not been proven in court. A murder charge is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Authorities have also released information about the suspect’s immigration history.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cedillos-Campos is originally from El Salvador and entered the United States illegally through Texas in April 2024. He was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after entering the country and was later released into the United States. The agency did not specify when or why he was released.
For Puch’s family, however, the investigation is about much more than the circumstances of a homicide. It is also about a mother who will not return home to her young daughter.
The 42-year-old was found dead in a place where investigators now believe she had arranged to meet someone she knew — a person police say was not a stranger, but someone with whom she allegedly shared an intimate relationship.
As detectives continue working to establish exactly what happened before, during and after the encounter, the case has raised troubling questions about the relationship between Puch and her accused killer and what may have led to the deadly confrontation.
Cedillos-Campos remains in custody as the investigation continues, while prosecutors prepare to pursue the murder case against him.
