Great Falls killing: Suspect had intimate relationship with victim, was in US illegally, sources say
Teen co-worker arrested in Great Falls murder case
A 19-year-old was arrested in connection with a Great Falls murder case where a woman was found stabbed to death.
MCLEAN, Va. - A 19‑year‑old man arrested in connection with the killing of a Reston woman found Monday morning near hiking trails in Great Falls had an intimate relationship with the victim and was in the country illegally, federal sources told FOX News.
What we know:
Fairfax County police say Alexis Antonio Cedillos‑Campos is charged in the death of 42‑year‑old Carmen Lizet Puch. She was found stabbed around 7 a.m. in a parking area along the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike, lying unconscious next to her dark red 2011 Honda Civic. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
RELATED: Who is Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, the 19-year-old charged in Great Falls killing?
At a press conference Wednesday, Police Chief Kevin Davis said Cedillos‑Campos and Puch worked together at a restaurant and were involved in an intimate relationship. Davis said Cedillos‑Campos left the restaurant in the early morning hours Monday with a large fixed‑blade knife, latex gloves and a water bottle.
"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," Chief Davis said. "We know that when our victim and our killer eventually found themselves at the park, Difficult Run Trail Park, we know that our killer stabbed our victim repeatedly and eventually doused her in gasoline and tried to set her on fire. He was unsuccessful in the attempt to burn our victim, but we know that that occurred."
RELATED: Virginia woman found dead in parking area near Great Falls trails; homicide investigation underway
Alexis Antonio Cedillos‑Campos (Fairfax County Police)
Investigators said he emptied the bottle and filled it with gasoline siphoned from his motorcycle before he and Puch went to Difficult Run Park. Police allege Cedillos‑Campos repeatedly stabbed Puch, poured gasoline on her and unsuccessfully tried to set her on fire. Fairfax County police said Cedillos‑Campos offered a full confession while being interviewed by homicide detectives.
He was arrested in Prince George's County, and will be extradited to Fairfax County.
A resident arriving for a morning run on Monday discovered Puch and called police. Puch was the mother of a 3‑year‑old girl, police said.
Federal sources told FOX News that Cedillos‑Campos is from El Salvador and was in the country illegally. He was captured and released at the border in El Paso, Texas, in April 2024, according to those sources.
"I certainly fully understand the immigration question," Chief Davis said when questioned about Cedillos‑Campos immigration status. "I understand it completely. And I'm not demurring from answering it. I'll just say that there are other federal law-enforcement agencies that are tasked with immigration enforcement just like the Fairfax County Police Department is tasked with investigating murders."
In a GoFundMe created by her employer, Puch is described as soft-spoken and caring and a loving mother of a young girl. According to the online fundraiser, Puch moved to Northern Virginia from New Jersey to make a better life for herself and her daughter.
According to FOX 5 DC reporting, there have been seven murder cases in Fairfax County so far in 2026, and eight murder victims. Half of the accused killers in these cases were in the country illegally.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Fairfax County police at 1‑866‑411‑8477.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Fairfax County Police and FOX News.