A 23-year-old Anaheim woman has been charged with murder after police found her 55-year-old boyfriend decapitated inside her apartment during an August welfare check, authorities said. The woman, identified as Alyssa Marie Lira, was arrested in Mexico last week and transferred to Orange County custody the next day.
Prosecutors said Lira faces one count of murder with a felony enhancement for personally using a weapon. The victim was identified as Enrique Gonzalez-Carbajal of Santa Ana. Investigators say Lira and Gonzalez-Carbajal had been dating for about two months before the killing, which came to light Aug. 25 during a welfare check at her Anaheim residence. After several months out of the country, Lira was apprehended Jan. 22 in Mexico and turned over to Anaheim police Jan. 23 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. She is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail, and an arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 13. Officials have not released a suspected motive or described the specific weapon.
Officers were dispatched around 2 p.m. on Aug. 25 to the 1300 block of East La Palma Avenue for a welfare check at Lira’s apartment, police said. Inside, they found Gonzalez-Carbajal’s body and his severed head. Anaheim homicide detectives identified Lira as the suspect later that day and learned she crossed the border shortly after the killing. Detectives collected physical evidence from the unit, interviewed neighbors, and began seeking surveillance video from nearby businesses and residences. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer praised the coordination between local investigators, federal partners and Mexican authorities that led to Lira’s capture. He said investigators intend to keep working the case until all lab reports and witness statements are complete.
Authorities said Lira is charged with murder and a personal-use enhancement that can increase prison exposure if a jury finds the allegation true. The maximum sentence is 26 years to life if she is convicted. Records list Gonzalez-Carbajal as a 55-year-old Santa Ana resident. Officials said the couple had been in a dating relationship for roughly two months before Aug. 25. Investigators have not publicly described what prompted the welfare check at the apartment. They have also not released the type of weapon used, the sequence of injuries, or other autopsy findings beyond the decapitation. Detectives submitted clothing, bedding and other items for laboratory analysis and requested exterior camera footage from the corridor along East La Palma Avenue.
The apartment sits along a busy stretch of older complexes and small storefronts north of downtown Anaheim. Neighbors reported an extended police presence on Aug. 25, with crime-scene tape over stairs and a rotation of investigators working into the evening. Residents said officers asked about doorbell videos and any unusual activity between midday and late afternoon. Maintenance crews later changed locks on one unit. In the days after the discovery, patrols returned to routine levels while homicide detectives continued interviews and evidence collection off scene. Police did not announce any other suspects. Officials said they are still reviewing digital evidence taken from phones and cameras.
After identifying Lira as the suspect, Anaheim detectives worked with the district attorney’s office, the FBI and Mexican authorities to locate her. She was detained in Mexico on Jan. 22 and turned over to Anaheim police at San Ysidro on Jan. 23. Prosecutors filed the murder case this week. A senior homicide prosecutor is assigned, and filings note the personal-use enhancement. Officials did not disclose investigative methods used to track Lira or the border crossing that followed the killing. They also did not release information about any prior calls for service at the apartment or any restraining orders between the pair. Police described the case as a domestic violence homicide.
In the coming weeks, the case will move through initial court steps. Lira is set for arraignment Feb. 13 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. At that hearing, a judge will advise her of the charge and take a plea. If the case proceeds, a preliminary hearing would be set to determine whether enough evidence exists to send the matter to trial. Prosecutors said they will continue to confer with detectives as lab results and supplemental reports are returned. Any additional enhancements or charges would be considered after those materials are reviewed.
Residents near East La Palma Avenue recalled flashing lights the afternoon of Aug. 25 and a steady stream of investigators after patrol officers arrived. One neighbor said police canvassed for video from early afternoon to early evening. Another resident described the complex as usually quiet, with people keeping to themselves. A worker at a nearby shop said customers discussed the case for days and asked whether police were still present. By this week, the complex looked routine again, with only a few changed locks and a patched strip of paint near an entryway.
As of Thursday, Lira remained jailed without bail on one count of murder with a weapon-use enhancement. The next milestone is her scheduled arraignment on Feb. 13 in Santa Ana, where a judge could set future dates and lawyers may outline issues likely to shape the case.
Author note: Last updated January 29, 2026.