ABC News August 20, 2025

Husband of California woman found dead in forest fled to Peru, authorities say

WATCH: Husband flees to Peru with children after wife found dead, California police say

The husband of a missing California woman who was found dead in the Angeles National Forest has fled to Peru, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

Sheylla Cabrera, 33, was reported missing on Aug. 12, according to police. During the subsequent investigation, investigators say they discovered video surveillance appearing to show her husband, 36-year-old Jossimar Cabrera, dragging something in a large piece of material from the apartment complex where the two lived with their three sons.

Authorities say they're obtaining the "necessary documents to secure" the husband's return. The case will be referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for criminal charges against Jossimar Cabrera.

KABC
The person of interest in this case is 36-year-old Jossimar Cabrera.

Investigators believed foul play may have been involved in Sheylla Cabrera's disappearance and they had been searching large areas of the Angeles National Forest, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators also worked with the Mexican and Peruvian general consulates with alerts for the husband. They were informed he had already fled the United States.

The Montrose Mountain Search and Rescue Team reported finding 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 Angeles National Forest on Saturday, according to the sheriff's department.

Investigators responded to the scene and Sheylla Cabrera's body was discovered.

The official cause of her death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The couple's three children, who were initially believed to be also missing, were found safe and taken into protective custody in Peru on Saturday, according to the sheriff's department.