Virginia woman found dead in parking area near Great Falls trails; homicide investigation underway
Woman found stabbed to death near Great Falls
A woman was found stabbed to death near a hiking trail in Great Falls.
GREAT FALLS, Va. - A woman was found stabbed to death early Monday morning in a parking area leading to several hiking trails near Great Falls in McLean, Virginia. Fairfax County police are investigating the incident as a homicide.
What we know:
Officers responded around 7 a.m. to the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike in the McLean area, where the woman was discovered lying unconscious next to her dark red 2011 Honda Civic.
Detectives said she had trauma to her upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene. She has been identified as Carmen Lizet Puch, 42, of Reston.
A resident arriving for a morning run noticed the woman and alerted police. Captain Jason Chandler spoke at the scene and said it is unclear where the victim lived or why she was there, and her age has not yet been confirmed. Chandler added there is no immediate indication the incident was a random act.
Detectives are canvassing the area for surveillance cameras and asking anyone who was in the area around 7 a.m. to contact them. Community members who are not part of the Connect Fairfax program are also encouraged to reach out.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 1-866-411-8477.
Woman found dead with upper body trauma in Fairfax County
What they're saying:
Fairfax County Police, with assistance from the U.S. Park Police, gathered evidence from the victim’s vehicle and the surrounding parking lot. Despite the lack of a suspect, law enforcement does not believe the public is in immediate danger.
Capt. Jason Chandler of the Fairfax County Police Department said, "There’s no immediate indication this was a random act. We’re just asking the community if they saw something around 7 o’clock to please reach out to us."
The homicide investigation is centered along Georgetown Pike, a hilly, winding two-lane road lined with trees.
Melissa Walter, who works in the area, raised concerns over the situation and the nature of the location.
"At first this morning, I thought it was someone who had just been hit walking along the road...and then I just heard it was a homicide," Walter said, noting that the area sees heavy traffic from hikers and runners.
Authorities closed a roughly one-mile stretch of Georgetown Pike for much of Monday, from Old Dominion Drive east to Towlston Road, south of the entrance to Great Falls Park, while detectives worked the scene.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Fairfax County Police.