Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, an El Salvadoran national, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Carmen Lizet Puch in Great Falls, Virginia. Puch, 42, was found stabbed on August 17 near her car in a park. Her body had gasoline poured on it in an unsuccessful attempt to set it on fire. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer with the Fairfax County Detention Center on August 19, the same day Cedillos-Campos was arrested, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
According to DHS, Cedillos-Campos illegally entered the United States through Texas in April 2024 and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The agency said he was subsequently released into the country.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin called on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Fairfax County officials to cooperate with ICE and not release the suspect from custody.