LANCASTER, Calif. — Jossimar Cabrera Cornejo, 36, the man accused of murdering his wife and dumping her body in the Angeles National Forest, has been taken into custody for the third time—this time with formal charges and pending extradition to the U.S.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Cabrera was arrested Wednesday in Lima, Peru, where he had fled with their three children following the death of his wife, 33-year-old Sheylla Cabrera.
Previously detained briefly in both Mexico and Peru, Cabrera was released because formal charges had not yet been filed in the U.S. After authorities officially charged him with murder, Cabrera surrendered to Peruvian law enforcement. Extradition proceedings are underway, though they could take several months.
Sheylla Cabrera was initially reported missing, but suspicion quickly fell on her husband after security footage showed him dragging a large wrapped object from their Lancaster apartment late at night. Her body was found days later in the Angeles National Forest, wrapped similarly to the object in the footage.
The couple’s children were placed in protective custody following Cabrera’s first detention in Peru.
If convicted, Cabrera faces a sentence ranging from 26 years to life imprisonment. The District Attorney’s Office has filed special circumstances alleging a knife was used in the killing, though the official cause of death has not yet been released.
Family and friends have shared that Sheylla endured years of domestic violence. At a recent press conference in Lancaster, officials released photos showing Sheylla as a mother, daughter, and valued community member, highlighting the human side of the tragedy beyond the crime.
