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An undocumented immigrant is now facing murder charges following allegations that she fatally shot her girlfriend, concealing the victim’s decaying remains within a closet of a Charlotte apartment.
Authorities from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have taken 23-year-old Lhis Birito Costa into custody, linking her to the homicide of 26-year-old Evelin Carolina Enamorado-Cisnado.
Police responded on Tuesday afternoon to an east Charlotte apartment for a welfare check after receiving a call suggesting that someone inside might be deceased.
What started as a routine welfare check swiftly escalated into a full-fledged homicide inquiry.
Lhis Birito Costa, aged 23, has been apprehended and formally charged with the murder of Evelin Carolina Enamorado-Cisnado in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to police reports. (Courtesy of Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office)
When officers entered the apartment, investigators say they discovered Enamorado-Cisnado’s body hidden inside a closet, behind a door and covered with several towels.Â
Detectives said the victim’s body had already begun decomposing.
According to court documents obtained by WCNC Charlotte, a DoorDash driver had arrived at the apartment and was told someone inside the home was dead, prompting the call to police.
CMPD vehicles block a roadway in Charlotte as officers respond to a reported stabbing on the city’s light rail. (WJZY)
The documents also state Costa told investigators she had been in a relationship with Enamorado-Cisnado and shot her after learning the victim was involved with someone else.
Police said Costa was located and arrested Wednesday in connection with the case. She was transported to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Law Enforcement Center, where homicide detectives interviewed her.
Immigration agents walk through North Carolina. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
Following the interview, Costa was transferred to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and charged with murder.
During her first court appearance Thursday, a judge ordered Costa held without bond while the case moves forward.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Costa remains in custody at the county jail. Officials also confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Costa, meaning federal immigration authorities have requested notification before she is released.
Fox News Digital reached out to ICE for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.Â
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.