Virginia teen arrested after stabbing 42-year-old woman he had an ‘intimate relationship’ with; gasoline used in planned attack

Fairfax County Police have arrested 19-year-old Alexis Antonio Cedillos Campos following the fatal stabbing of 42-year-old Carmen Lizet Puch near a Virginia hiking trail. In an official press release, police announced that emergency responders located Puch unconscious in the parking lot of Difficult Run Park early Monday morning (August 17, 2026) after receiving a report about the incident.

During a subsequent news conference, authorities confirmed that the victim and suspect were involved in an “intimate relationship” prior to the violence.

How the Incident Unfolded?

The tragic event began to unfold early Monday morning when Puch and Cedillos Campos met at Difficult Run Park in Great Falls Virginia. During the news conference, police alleged that the suspect brought a stolen knife, gloves and a water bottle filled with gasoline siphoned from his motorcycle to the meeting. Cedillos Campos then repeatedly stabbed Puch at the park and attempted to set her on fire with the gasoline.

According to the police press release, detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau determined that Puch had been stabbed multiple times and gasoline had been poured on her near her parked car.

Official Statements from Law Enforcement

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis and Assistant Chief Rachel Levy stated at the news conference that the victim and suspect were co-workers at a local restaurant. Davis called Puch a loving mother who leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter and described the attack as reprehensible. Davis also informed reporters at the conference that Cedillos Campos gave a full confession to detectives after his arrest.


What we know about Cedillos Campos


According to the police press release, the Fugitive Tracking and Apprehension Team coordinated with the Prince George County Police Department and the United States Marshals Service to locate and apprehend Cedillos Campos in Lanham Maryland.

Cedillos Campos is currently held at the Prince George County Jail on suspicion of second degree murder while awaiting extradition to Fairfax County. Federal records from the Department of Homeland Security indicate that Cedillos Campos is a native of El Salvador who entered the country illegally through Texas in April 2024. Border authorities arrested him at that time and later released him into the country.