SANTA ANA, Calif. (Court TV) — A California woman accused of killing and decapitating her boyfriend has been arrested in Mexico and returned to Orange County to face murder charges.
Alyssa Marie Lira, 23, was taken into custody on Jan. 22, 2026, in Mexico, months after the headless body of her boyfriend, 55-year-old Enrique Gonzalez-Carbajal, was discovered in her home, according to a press release.
This Jan. 23, 2026, booking photo provided by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office shows murder suspect Alyssa Lira. (Orange County District Attorney’s Office)
During the investigation, Anaheim homicide detectives identified Lira as a suspect and determined that she had immediately fled to Mexico after the murder. The couple had been dating for two months at the time of Gonzalez-Carbajal’s death in Aug. 2025.
For five months, local, federal and Mexican authorities worked together to locate and arrest Lira.
“Nothing, not time, not distance, nor foreign borders, will thwart our pursuit of justice, and Orange County law enforcement will continue to go to the very ends of the earth to carry out our mission and hold criminals accountable for the heinous acts they commit,” the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
“This investigation and prosecution are a testament to the tenacity and the dedication of the Anaheim Police Department, of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and of our federal and international partners to identify a cold-blooded killer, track her down in a foreign country, and bring her back to the United States to face the full weight of the law,” the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
Lira is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 13, 2026.
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