Thread: Northern Virginia ‘Intimate' coworker, 19, arrested in killing | Carmen Lizet Puch

Northern Virginia

‘Intimate' coworker, 19, arrested in woman's killing near Great Falls trail

Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos is accused in the killing of Carmen Lizet Puch, Fairfax County police said.

By NBC Washington Staff and Jackie Bensen

• Published August 19, 2026 • Updated 1 minute ago

NBC Universal, Inc.

A woman who was found stabbed to death in the Great Falls area has been identified as 42-year-old mother Carmen Lizet Puch. News4’s Jackie Bensen reports.

A 19-year-old man was arrested in the killing of a woman found stabbed near a trail in the Great Falls area early Monday, police said.

Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos is charged with second-degree murder, Fairfax County police said Wednesday.

The victim, 42-year-old Carmen Lizet Puch of Reston, Virginia, was the mother of a 3-year-old girl.

Cedillos-Campos was a coworker of hers at Bitez restaurant in Herndon, sources told News4.

The two had an intimate relationship, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said, but detectives continue uncovering the motive.

“There are other aspects of that intimate relationship that involve other people,” Davis said but declined to get into further detail.

Police are interviewing Cedillos-Campos and say he confessed to the crime.

Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia news, events and updates


Fairfax County 3 hours ago

Video from early Monday of Cedillos-Campos at the restaurant shows him arming himself with a large, fixed-blade knife and taking black latex, gloves and a water bottle, Davis said.

“And then off he goes with intent to do harm and kill the victim,” he said.

"All very premeditated," Davis said.

Cedillos-Campos intended to burn the victim, police said.

“He ended up syphoning gasoline from his motorcycle," Davis said. "He filled the water bottle with gasoline after he dumped the water."

The suspect and victim wound up at Difficult Run Trail Park, Davis said, and Cedillos-Campos stabbed Puch multiple times before dousing her with gasoline and trying unsuccessfully to set her on fire.

“No one deserves to be treated the way that our victim was treated,” Davis said. “And she was stabbed repeatedly– repeatedly–by our 19-year-old killer.”

Cedillos-Campos is in the country illegally, the Department of Homeland Security said.

A jogger called police after finding Puch lying next to her car in a small gravel parking lot near the trail about 6:45 a.m. Monday, police said.



Video from Chopper4 showed orange crime scene markers on and near Puch's burgundy Honda Civic.

Investigators later towed her Honda Civic from the area. Sources familiar with the investigation said she was stabbed inside the vehicle.

It is not clear why Puch drove to the park or when. The parking lot has no security cameras.

Police asked for anyone with information to call 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online.

People who knew her Puch said she was soft-spoken and worked hard to support her young daughter.

Abdul Anwari, owner of the restaurant Bitez in the Village Center at Dulles said he and Puch’s coworkers were shocked to learn of her killing.

“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,” he told News4. “But you know, we're still taking it minute at a time.”

For Anwari and those who knew Puch, it’s a mystery shrouded in grief. But their goal is to help the little daughter she leaves behind.

“We have a GoFundMe account set up, but we're actually doing, we are personally donating to the family as well,” Anwari said. “But anyone in the community that can help, obviously, this is going to go directly to the family, and as far as I'm concerned, it should go to the daughter and make sure that she's OK.”

Friends said Puch’s family is from New Jersey and they quickly drove down after learning of the tragedy to take care of the 3-year-old girl.

Suspect, 19, accused in killing of woman near Great Falls trail – NBC4 Washington

FOX 5 Washington DC

9.4K Followers

Who is Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, the 19-year-old charged in Great Falls killing?

Story by Tyler Thrasher
• 2h • 2 min read

FOX 5 Washington DC
Great Falls Killing: Suspect had intimate relationship with victim

Video Duration 23:40

The Brief

• Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, 19, is accused of killing 42-year-old Carmen Lizet Puch of Reston near Great Falls
• Fairfax County police said the two worked together and were in an intimate relationship
• Investigators detailed what they say happened in the hours before Puch was found dead

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.



Who is Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, the 19-year-old charged in Great Falls killing?

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.

Who is Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, the 19-year-old charged in Great Falls killing?