A California man who is accused of killing his wife and fleeing to Peru with their children has been charged with murder, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
An extradition warrant has been issued for 36-year-old Jossimar Cabrera Cornejo of Lancaster, north of Los Angeles. Cabrera is accused of killing his wife, 33-year-old Sheylla Cabrera, last week before escaping to Peru.
He was charged with one count of murder with allegations of using a knife as a deadly weapon, the district attorney’s office said.
Cabrera was reported missing Aug. 12 to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies found security video of her husband “dragging a large object in a large piece of material” from the apartment complex where they lived with their three young sons, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday.
The district attorney’s office said that Cornejo allegedly killed Cabrera on Aug. 10 at their Lancaster home before fleeing to Peru with the children.
On Saturday, the three children were found safe and taken into protective custody in Peru, the sheriff’s department said.
The Montrose Mountain Search and Rescue team reported spotting “an object similar to the material that was seen being taken away by the person of interest over the side of an embankment” in the forest Saturday morning, the sheriff’s department said. That material contained Cabrera’s body.
Neighbors told NBC Los Angeles that Cabrera confided in them that her husband was physically abusive.
“The allegations against this man are horrific, and we will do everything possible to bring him back under our jurisdiction to be held accountable,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. “Domestic violence creates chaos in our communities and shatters families. My office is committed to bringing stability back into the lives of those who have been victimized.”
A court date will be scheduled if Cornejo is apprehended, the office said.
If convicted, he could face 26 years to life in prison, according to the district attorney’s office.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not respond to a request for comment.
