Teen arrested in Maryland after allegedly stabbing woman, trying to set her on fire in Virginia

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a 42-year-old woman found stabbed to death near the Difficult Run Trail at Great Falls Park in Fairfax County.

Police say Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos confessed to stabbing Carmen Lizet Puch inside her car Monday morning. Her body was found outside the vehicle at the park.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis remembered Puch as more than a victim.

"A loving mother of a three-year-old little girl, who took care of her little girl," Davis said.

Within 48 hours of the killing, detectives identified Cedillos-Campos as a suspect.

"Alexis Campos is under arrest; he is being interviewed by Fairfax County homicide detectives and he is offering a full confession," Davis said.

Puch and Cedillos-Campos worked together at Bitez Restaurant in Herndon and had an intimate relationship, according to police. The motive remains unclear.

Investigators say surveillance video from inside the restaurant provided important clues. Police say Cedillos-Campos took a knife, latex gloves and a water bottle from the restaurant before meeting Puch at the park.

"Our killer left the restaurant on the night of the murder armed with a fixed blade knife that he took from the restaurant; he also had a pair of latex gloves from the restaurant he also had a water bottle that he took from the restaurant — all very premeditated," Davis said.

Police say Cedillos-Campos later filled the bottle with gasoline and attempted to set Puch on fire, but was unsuccessful. He had already stabbed her multiple times.

"We know our victim and killer intentionally met at the park," Davis said.

Police would not confirm Cedillos-Campos' immigration status. The Department of Homeland Security posted on social media that Cedillos-Campos is a "criminal illegal alien from El Salvador."

Davis addressed the loss felt by those who knew Puch.

"I really wanna emphasize, we all want to emphasize Carmen Puch didn't deserve this," Davis said.

Cedillos-Campos was taken into custody in Prince George's County, Maryland, and is expected to be extradited back to Virginia. The investigation is ongoing.

Police thanked the community, including the Good Samaritan who found Puch, neighbors who responded to the scene, and restaurant employees who helped detectives piece together what happened.