“HE DID IT” — MOTHER’S SECRET AFFAIR EXPOSED BEFORE A CHILLING PHONE CALL, POLICE SAY

A secret relationship. A devastating confrontation. And one chilling phone call that investigators say may have revealed what happened next.

Carmen Lizet Puch, a 42-year-old mother from Reston, Virginia, was found beside her car at Difficult Run Park in Great Falls on the morning of August 17.

Within 48 hours, police arrested 19-year-old Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, a former co-worker of Puch, and charged him with second-degree murder.

Now investigators say a witness has provided a disturbing account of what may have happened in the hours before Puch was found.

THE SECRET THAT WAS EXPOSED

Puch and Cedillos-Campos worked together at Bitez, a halal restaurant in Herndon, Virginia.

According to police and witness statements cited in court documents, the pair had been involved in an intimate relationship.

Investigators say the situation changed dramatically after Puch allegedly sent screenshots of the relationship to Cedillos-Campos’ girlfriend.

A co-worker reportedly told police that Cedillos-Campos became angry after learning that his girlfriend knew about the relationship.

The witness allegedly told investigators that Cedillos-Campos had expressed a desire to harm Puch.

Then, in the early hours of August 17, the two were reportedly in contact again.

THE PHONE CALL THAT HAUNTED INVESTIGATORS

According to the criminal complaint, a co-worker overheard Cedillos-Campos arranging to meet Puch at around 1:30 a.m.

About two and a half hours later, the witness said Cedillos-Campos called again.

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

Police say the witness interpreted the statement as an admission that Puch had been harmed.

The allegation became one of several pieces of evidence investigators examined as they reconstructed the final hours before Puch was discovered.

POLICE SAY SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE SHOWED PREPARATION

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said investigators recovered surveillance footage from the restaurant.

According to police, the footage allegedly showed Cedillos-Campos taking a fixed-blade knife, black latex gloves and a water bottle before leaving.

Investigators believe the items were connected to what happened later at the park.

Police also allege that gasoline was taken from a motorcycle and placed into the water bottle. Investigators believe Cedillos-Campos later attempted to ignite Puch’s body, but the effort was unsuccessful.

Chief Davis described the alleged sequence as showing evidence of planning.

A JOGGER MADE THE HORRIFYING DISCOVERY

At approximately 6:45 a.m., a jogger found Puch beside her 2011 Honda Civic in the parking area of Difficult Run Park.

Police said she had suffered multiple stab wounds.

Puch was more than a victim in the eyes of those who knew her.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis described her as a “loving mother” to her three-year-old daughter.

Her daughter is now being cared for by relatives.

For the people who worked with Puch, the news was almost impossible to comprehend.

Bitez owner Abdul Anwari told NBC Washington that the tragedy was something nobody expected and said the workplace was still trying to process what had happened.

ARRESTED WITHIN 48 HOURS

Detectives identified Cedillos-Campos as a suspect within two days.

He was arrested August 19 in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and local authorities.

Police said he allegedly attempted to flee when officers approached.

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.

Police have also said Cedillos-Campos provided what Chief Davis described as a full confession during questioning. However, a criminal charge and an alleged confession are not the same as a conviction, and the case remains pending in court.

IMMIGRATION CONTROVERSY FOLLOWS THE CASE

The investigation has also drawn national attention because federal authorities say Cedillos-Campos is from El Salvador and had entered the United States near El Paso, Texas, in April 2024.

He was detained by Border Patrol before being released, according to federal officials cited by multiple news organizations.

The Department of Homeland Security has used the case to criticize immigration policies, while Fairfax County Police Chief Davis emphasized that immigration status does not determine how local detectives conduct their investigation.

But for Puch’s family, the political debate cannot change the central tragedy.

A mother is gone.

A three-year-old girl is growing up without her.

And investigators are now trying to establish exactly how a private relationship between two co-workers allegedly escalated into a case that ended with a mother being found beside her car at a Virginia park.

Cedillos-Campos remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.