Jossimar Cabrera arrived at LAX on Dec. 12 and was booked on a murder charge in the death of Sheylla Gutiérrez Cabrera.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Lancaster man accused of killing his wife, dumping her body in the Angeles National Forest and fleeing to Peru with their children was extradited to Los Angeles on Friday night, authorities said, and taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles County have charged Jossimar Cabrera with one count of murder in the death of his wife, 33-year-old Sheylla Gutiérrez Cabrera, also known as Sheylla Lisbet Gutiérrez Rosillo. Sheriff’s officials said U.S. Marshals and the department’s fugitive task force escorted Cabrera to LAX, where deputies booked him on the pending charge. The case returns to public view four months after Gutiérrez’s body was found in a ravine off a forest road, and after international custody and extradition proceedings in Peru involving the couple’s three young sons.
Investigators say the timeline began Aug. 10, when Gutiérrez was fatally attacked inside the couple’s Lancaster apartment. She was reported missing Aug. 12. The next day, detectives obtained surveillance video from the apartment complex that showed Cabrera dragging a heavy object wrapped in fabric. On Aug. 16, search-and-rescue volunteers located a body wrapped in similar material at the bottom of an embankment in the Angeles National Forest. The remains were identified as Gutiérrez. Cabrera left Southern California soon after. “The allegations are horrific, and we will do everything possible to ensure accountability,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in August.
Authorities said Cabrera fled to Peru with the couple’s three sons, who were placed into protective custody there after international alerts were issued. Peruvian police detained Cabrera in late August while extradition paperwork moved forward through courts and ministries. Sheriff’s officials said he landed in Los Angeles around 7:30 p.m. Friday and was transported to a station for booking. A cause of death has not yet been publicly released. Records list the victim as Sheylla Gutiérrez Cabrera, 33, with alternate legal names used in immigration and family documents. Neighbors told reporters Gutiérrez had previously described domestic abuse; detectives have not confirmed any prior reports in Los Angeles County. The children have since been reunited with family under court supervision, according to relatives.
In the weeks after the killing, deputies from the Homicide Bureau worked with the Major Crimes Bureau Fugitive Task Force and U.S. Marshals to track Cabrera’s movements. Prosecutors filed the murder charge on Aug. 22 and sought an international extradition warrant that identified Peru as his likely destination. Peruvian authorities later ordered preventive detention while the request was processed. The Montrose Search and Rescue Team, a volunteer group that assists the Sheriff’s Department in rugged terrain, led the August recovery effort that brought the case into the homicide unit’s hands. Officials have declined to discuss specific forensic results, citing the ongoing investigation and pending court proceedings.
Friday’s transfer resolves the extradition phase and shifts the case back to the Antelope Valley branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court. Prosecutors said the charge includes a deadly weapon allegation. An initial court appearance is expected early next week in Lancaster, where a judge will consider bail and set future dates. If convicted as charged, Cabrera faces a potential sentence of 26 years to life in state prison under California law. Defense counsel had not been listed in jail records as of Saturday afternoon. The Sheriff’s Department said detectives will continue to gather witness statements, analyze digital evidence and submit additional reports to the District Attorney’s Office.
Relatives of the victim welcomed news of Cabrera’s return to Los Angeles. “It does not bring Sheylla back, but it is a step toward accountability,” her sister, Jesy Gutiérrez, said in a statement shared with local media. Outside the couple’s apartment complex on Lancaster Boulevard, a small memorial of candles and flowers remained, neighbors said. One neighbor recalled seeing deputies canvassing door to door in mid-August, adding, “We just want the truth to come out.” At LAX on Friday night, deputies escorted Cabrera off a jetway in handcuffs before taking him to a waiting vehicle, according to officials familiar with the transfer.
As of Saturday, Cabrera was being held in Los Angeles County custody on the murder case, with arraignment expected Monday, Dec. 15. Authorities said additional updates will be released after the first court hearing and once the coroner’s office finalizes its public findings. Detectives asked anyone with information about the days before Aug. 10 to contact the Homicide Bureau.
Author note: Last updated December 13, 2025.