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Great Falls Killing: Suspect had intimate relationship with victim
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.
MCLEAN, Va. - A 19-year-old man is charged in the killing of a Reston mother found stabbed near Great Falls trails, and Fairfax County police are now detailing the alleged planning and attack that led to her death.
Who is Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos?
Fairfax County police identified Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos as the suspect charged in the death of Carmen Lizet Puch, 42, of Reston.
Police said Cedillos-Campos and Puch worked together at a restaurant and were involved in an intimate relationship.
Federal sources told FOX 5 DC that Cedillos-Campos is from El Salvador and was in the country illegally. Those sources said he was apprehended and released at the border in El Paso, Texas, in April 2024.
Alexis Antonio Cedillos‑Campos (Fairfax County Police)
What police allege happened
Police said Cedillos-Campos left the restaurant in the early morning hours Monday with a large fixed-blade knife, latex gloves and a water bottle.
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.
When Puch was found
McLean District Station officers responded to Difficult Run Park at about 6:43 a.m. Monday, where they found Puch dead with multiple stab wounds, police said.
Puch was found in a parking area in the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike, near Great Falls trails, beside her dark red 2011 Honda Civic. A person arriving for a morning run found her and called police.
Puch was the mother of a 3-year-old girl, police said.
Arrest made within 48 hours
Detectives identified Cedillos-Campos within 48 hours of Puch’s death, Fairfax County police said.
He was taken into custody in Maryland on a second-degree murder charge with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and Prince George’s County police.
What's next:
The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Fairfax County police at 1-866-411-8477.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Fairfax County Police Department and reporting from FOX 5 DC.