A man accused of killing his wife, who was found dead in a California forest, has turned himself in to authorities after fleeing to Peru.
On Wednesday, Aug. 27, the Policía Nacional del Perú released a video on X and Facebook showing 36-year-old Jossimar Cabrera Cornejo in handcuffs at Interpol Lima headquarters following the death of his wife, Sheylla Cabrera, 33.
“Jossimar Cabrera Cornejo, the prime suspect in the murder of a Peruvian citizen in the U.S. and currently under Red Notice, surrendered this morning at Interpol Lima headquarters and is being held in preventive detention,” police said in a translated statement shared with the video.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) confirmed in a release that same day that Cabrera had been taken into custody. “We were notified by the Consulate General of Peru that Jossimar Cabrera, the wanted murder suspect from Lancaster, was taken into custody. Cabrera surrendered to authorities in Lima, Peru,” the statement said.
According to LASD, it may take several months to extradite Cabrera back to the United States, but a court order will keep him in Peruvian custody while the process moves forward.
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As previously reported by PEOPLE, Sheylla’s body was discovered the morning of Aug. 16 at the Angeles National Forest, down an embankment. She was pronounced dead at the scene, though her cause of death has not yet been released.
A week later, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that an extradition arrest warrant had been issued for Cabrera. He faces one count of murder with an allegation of using a knife as a deadly weapon.
“Sheylla Lisbet Cabrera, 33, was allegedly killed by the defendant on Aug. 10 at the Lancaster apartment where they and their three children lived. It is alleged that Jossimar Cabrera Cornejo then took his children and fled to Perú,” the DA’s office said in its Aug. 22 release. If convicted, he could face up to 26 years to life in state prison.
On the same day Sheylla’s body was found, the couple’s three children were located safe in Peru and placed in protective custody.
Meanwhile, NBC Los Angeles reported that surveillance footage appeared to show Cabrera dragging a large object from the family’s apartment complex in Lancaster.
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Her mother, Helga Rocillo, told ABC7 Los Angeles that she is devastated but must remain strong for her grandchildren. She also told Latina Noticias that her daughter had planned to file a criminal report against her husband for alleged abuse, claiming, “She told me that Jossimar Cabrera Cornejo hit her, mistreated her, and even slapped my youngest grandchild, who is 3 years old,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Family members further alleged that Cabrera gave conflicting accounts of his wife’s disappearance. According to ABC7 Los Angeles, he first claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained her, later said she left him for another man, and eventually claimed she had suffered an accident.
The Policía Nacional del Perú and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office have not yet provided additional comment.
