“HE DID IT” — 19-YEAR-OLD MIGRANT ACCUSED OF TARGETING MOTHER AFTER SHE EXPOSED THEIR AFFAIR

A chilling phone call, a secret relationship and a mother left beside her car have become key pieces of a disturbing Virginia homicide investigation.

Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, 19, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 42-year-old Carmen Lizet Puch, a mother of a three-year-old girl.

According to prosecutors, investigators believe the tragedy came just hours after Puch allegedly exposed her relationship with Cedillos-Campos to his girlfriend.

The case unfolded in Fairfax County, Virginia, roughly 15 miles outside Washington, D.C.

A SECRET RELATIONSHIP TAKES A DARK TURN

Police said Puch and Cedillos-Campos worked together at Bitez, a halal restaurant in Herndon, where investigators say they developed an “intimate relationship.”

A co-worker later told police that Puch had sent screenshots of the relationship to Cedillos-Campos’ girlfriend.

According to the witness, the revelation appeared to trigger an angry reaction.

The witness reportedly told investigators that Cedillos-Campos had expressed a desire to harm Puch after learning that his girlfriend knew about the affair.

Then came the phone call that investigators are now examining as a crucial part of the timeline.

Around 1:30 a.m. on August 17, the co-worker allegedly overheard Cedillos-Campos arranging to meet Puch.

Several hours later, around 4 a.m., Cedillos-Campos allegedly called the same co-worker.

The witness told police that he said, “he did it,” before abruptly ending the call.

Investigators interpreted the statement as a possible admission that Puch had been harmed, according to the criminal complaint cited by WJLA.

POLICE SAY SURVEILLANCE CAPTURED A DISTURBING SEQUENCE

Investigators say surveillance footage from the restaurant may provide another important piece of evidence.

According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, cameras allegedly captured Cedillos-Campos taking a fixed-blade knife, black latex gloves and a water bottle before leaving the restaurant.

Police said the footage suggested he was preparing to confront Puch.

Authorities also believe an attempt was made to use gasoline after the incident. Investigators said they believe gasoline was taken from a motorcycle and placed into the water bottle, allegedly in an effort to ignite Puch’s body.

The investigation into that sequence remains part of the prosecution’s case.

A MOTHER FOUND BESIDE HER CAR

Around 6:45 a.m., a jogger discovered Puch beside her 2011 Honda Civic in Difficult Run Park in Great Falls.

Police said she had suffered numerous stab wounds.

Puch was remembered by officials as a loving mother to her three-year-old daughter.

Her child is now being cared for by relatives.

The tragedy has left co-workers and those who knew Puch struggling to understand how an alleged workplace relationship could end in such a devastating way.

“I don’t know if you can process something like this,” Bitez owner Abdul Anwari told NBC Washington, describing the situation as something no one expected.

ARREST CAME TWO DAYS LATER

Cedillos-Campos was arrested on August 19 in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Authorities said he allegedly attempted to flee when officers moved in.

He remains in custody without bond and is facing a second-degree murder charge. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 30, according to court records.

Cedillos-Campos has not been convicted, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.

IMMIGRATION STATUS BECOMES PART OF THE POLITICAL DEBATE

The case has also triggered political controversy because Cedillos-Campos is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador.

According to authorities, he crossed into the United States near El Paso, Texas, in April 2024 and was detained by Border Patrol before later being released.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson criticized the Biden administration over his release and connected the case to broader immigration-policy arguments.

But Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis stressed that immigration status does not determine how investigators handle the case.

For investigators, the immediate focus remains the evidence surrounding Carmen Puch’s final hours — including surveillance footage, witness statements and the alleged phone confession.

And for Puch’s family, the investigation now centers on one heartbreaking question:

How did a secret relationship become a tragedy that left a three-year-old girl without her mother?