55-year-old man died after the 22-year-younger woman he dated for two months cut off his head inside her home and then went on the run for months; woman arrested
California – In a shocking act of violence in California that sent law enforcement agencies on a months-long international manhunt, a 23-year-old woman, identified as A. Lira, is now facing murder charges for beheading her 55-year-old boyfriend, identified as E. Gonzalez-Carbajal, inside her home—and then fleeing to Mexico.
Lira, who had only been dating the victim for two months, was charged with felony murder and a felony enhancement for personally using a weapon in the gruesome killing of Gonzalez-Carbajal. Prosecutors allege Lira used a knife to sever the man’s head and left his mutilated body behind before disappearing across the border. The brutality of the crime stunned investigators, who described Lira’s actions as “cold-blooded,” and the scene left behind as nothing short of horrifying. The case, now moving swiftly through the court, has raised questions about motive, mental state, and how a brief relationship spiraled into such unimaginable violence.
Police were called to Lira’s home on August 25, 2025, just after 2 p.m. A 911 call brought officers to the scene, where they found Gonzalez-Carbajal’s decapitated body inside the residence. Authorities said Lira had already vanished by the time they arrived. “We received the call on August 25 just after 2 p.m.,” said PIO M. Sutter. Investigators determined quickly that the killing had happened hours earlier and that Lira had immediately fled to Mexico. According to K. Edds, Director of Public Affairs for the DA’s Office, it was confirmed that a knife was used in the killing. The exact type of blade has not been disclosed. “This poor human… was brutalized,” she said, emphasizing the depth of the violence inflicted on the victim.
Authorities launched a full-scale search with the help of the FBI, its legal attachés in Mexico, and Mexican law enforcement. For nearly five months, Lira remained out of reach, her whereabouts unknown to the public, until she was located and arrested on January 22, 2026. She was extradited and returned to California, where she now sits in jail without bail. Her arraignment is scheduled for February 13. “This was somebody who was in a dating relationship with Gonzalez-Carbajal,” Edds noted. “You would assume there were feelings—but for her to engage in that level of just heinous violence—it’s heartbreaking.” No motive has been released. The details Lira reportedly gave to detectives after being read her Miranda rights have not been made public.
In a statement following the arrest, District Attorney T. Spitzer praised the cross-agency efforts that led to Lira’s capture. “Nothing—not time, not distance, nor foreign borders—prevented authorities from tracking down and capturing Lira,” Spitzer said. As for the victim’s family, the DA’s office said they have been notified and are grieving a loss compounded by the horror of the circumstances. What began as a short-lived relationship ended in a scene so violent that even veteran law enforcement officials struggled to describe it. Now, with Lira in custody and the case moving forward, prosecutors are preparing to bring the full weight of the law down on a woman accused of committing one of the most brutal murders in recent Orange County memory.
