The man accused of killing his wife, dumping her body in the Angeles National Forest and then fleeing to Peru with their children has been taken into custody for the third time—this time, seemingly for good.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirms that Jossimar Cabrera Cornejo, 36, of Lancaster was taken into custody Wednesday in connection with his wife’s murder.
He had previously been detained briefly in both Mexico and Peru, but was released because charges hadn’t formally been filed in the U.S.
He’s since been formally charged in his wife’s death, and he surrendered to authorities in Lima, Peru, according to LASD officials. Local authorities are in the process of extraditing him back to California to stand trial.
Jossimar Cabrera is accused of killing his wife, 33-year-old Sheylla Cabrera, at their apartment in Lancaster. She was originally the subject of a missing person investigation, but her husband became the prime suspect in her disappearance after security footage from a neighbor appeared to show him dragging a large wrapped object away from their home in the middle of the night.
Sheylla Cabrera’s body was discovered days later wrapped in similar material, authorities said.
Jossimar Cabrera eventually fled to his native Peru with the couple’s three children. After he was detained in Peru the first time, the children were taken into protective custody, officials said.
An extradition warrant was filed last week to begin the process to bring Jossimar Cabrera back to the U.S., and while he’s currently in law enforcement custody in South America, authorities say that process is lengthy and could take several months.
If convicted as charged, he could face a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison.
Sheylla Cabrera’s exact cause of death has yet to be released by investigators from the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office, but special circumstances filed by the District Attorney’s Office allege that a knife was used in her killing.
Friends and family have told KTLA that they believe Sheylla was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her husband for many years.
During a press conference Wednesday morning at Lancaster City Hall, officials released family photos of Sheylla Cabrera to illustrate that she was more than just a victim of homicide, but also a mother, daughter and community member.
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided online or by calling 800-222-8477.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence, help can be found by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
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