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Alyssa Marie Lira (Orange County District Attorney’s Office).
A 23-year-old woman from California has been accused of brutally decapitating her 55-year-old boyfriend and then fleeing to Mexico, according to prosecutors. The woman, identified as Alyssa Marie Lira, reportedly left the headless body of Enrique Gonzalez-Carbajal in her home after the alleged crime, which took place just two months into their relationship.
Lira, who worked as an exotic dancer in Anaheim, managed to evade capture for five months following the August 2025 incident. However, authorities recently apprehended her on January 22 in Mexico. She now faces charges of felony murder and an additional charge for the use of a weapon, as stated by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
“This case underscores our relentless pursuit of justice,” said Kimberly Edds, Director of Public Affairs. Speaking to Law&Crime, she expressed the emotional impact of the crime, saying, “This was someone in a relationship with Gonzalez-Carbajal, presumably with some affection, yet she committed an act of such egregious violence. It is heartbreaking for both the victim and his family.”
The victim’s body was discovered in Lira’s residence, prompting a police response on August 25, 2025, shortly after 2 p.m., according to Anaheim Police public information officer Matt Sutter.
Upon investigation, it quickly emerged that Lira had fled to Mexico. “We determined almost immediately that she had crossed the border,” Edds explained. While she confirmed a knife was used in the crime, she did not specify the type.
“This poor human … was brutalized,” Edds said.
Anaheim police detectives were working with the DA’s Organized Crime Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI’s assistant legal attaches in Mexico, as well as Mexican authorities, to locate and arrest Lira in connection with the alleged murder.
“She was returned to the United States,” Edds said, noting how Gonzalez-Carbajal’s family was notified after Lira’s arrest. “This is just a traumatic situation for everyone. For his family, for his friends, for everyone.”
Prosecutors and authorities have not yet released a motive. Lira is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 13 and she is currently being held at the Orange County Jail without bail.
“Hopefully she’ll remain in custody,” Edds said.
Speaking in a statement, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer described how “nothing, not time, not distance, nor foreign borders” prevented authorities from tracking down and capturing Lira.
“Orange County law enforcement will continue to go the very ends of the earth to carry out our mission and hold criminals accountable for the heinous acts they commit,” Spitzer 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.”