ANAHEIM, CA – Family and friends of Enrique Gonzalez-Carbajal are grieving after the 55-year-old was found brutally killed and decapitated inside an Anaheim home last August, in what authorities are calling one of the city’s most horrific crimes in recent memory.
Gonzalez-Carbajal, remembered by loved ones as a hardworking and gentle man, had reportedly been in a relationship with Alyssa Marie Lira for just two months before his life was cut short. According to investigators, it was Lira, a 23-year-old from Anaheim, who is accused of carrying out the killing with a knife before fleeing the country.
The grim discovery came on August 25, 2025, when local police responded to a call at Lira’s residence shortly after 2 p.m. Inside, they found Gonzalez-Carbajal’s body, which authorities say had been left headless.
In the aftermath, Anaheim police and prosecutors launched a sweeping investigation, quickly determining that Lira had crossed the border into Mexico. Over the next five months, law enforcement officials in Orange County collaborated with federal partners and Mexican authorities in a determined effort to locate and apprehend the suspect.
Officials announced that Lira was found and taken into custody in Mexico on January 22, before being extradited back to the United States. She now faces charges of felony murder and an enhancement for personally using a deadly weapon.
Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive in the killing, leaving those who cared about Gonzalez-Carbajal searching for answers. His family, notified following Lira’s arrest, must now grapple with the violent loss of their loved one and the pain of not knowing why he was targeted.
Throughout the investigation, authorities highlighted the brutality of the crime. Officials described the attack as “cold-blooded,” and made clear their commitment to pursue justice for Gonzalez-Carbajal, no matter how long it took or how far they had to go.
Lira is currently being held at the Orange County Jail without bond as she awaits her initial court appearance, scheduled for February 13. If convicted, she faces the possibility of life behind bars.
As the legal process moves forward, Gonzalez-Carbajal’s death remains a stark reminder of the violence some individuals can face at the hands of those closest to them. The community continues to mourn a man whose future was ended suddenly and violently, and authorities remain steadfast in their pledge to ensure that justice is ultimately served in his memory.