Dozens of candles lit up a still evening in Lancaster, California, in honor of Sheylla Cabrera, a 33-year-old mother of three whose life was cut short in a tragic manner. In silence, neighbors, friends, and loved ones converged, carrying photos of the young mother and demanding answers.
“She was a wonderful mother and daughter. We want justice for Sheylla.”
Her mother, Helga Rocillo, told local reporters.
Sheylla was reported missing to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on August 12, 2025. Family members said she had last been seen three days earlier. By the following morning, detectives reviewing security footage from the family’s Lancaster apartment made a disturbing discovery: a man identified as Sheylla’s husband, Jossimar Cabrera, was captured dragging a large object wrapped in fabric from the home.
On August 16, search-and-rescue teams located Sheylla’s body in the Angeles National Forest, thrown over an embankment and wrapped in material matching what was seen in the footage. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the cause of death.
Instead of assisting in the search, Jossimar fled the country. He traveled through Mexico before flying to Peru with the couple’s three children. The children were later placed in protective custody by Peruvian authorities and, after international coordination, repatriated to Los Angeles to live with their mother’s relatives.
In conversations with family and neighbors, Jossimar gave contradictory explanations for Sheylla’s disappearance. He claimed at different times that she had left with another man, suffered an accident, or had been taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Family members allege Sheylla had endured abuse at home. Her relatives told hypefresh that she had been hit, mistreated, and was preparing to report her husband to authorities. Neighbors described hearing fights in the apartment, adding weight to the family’s claims.
“She told us she was going to file a report. She wanted to protect her children.”
Rocillo said.
The case is now in the hands of U.S. and Peruvian authorities. LASD has identified Jossimar as a person of interest and states that it is preparing the evidence for submission to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review. The D.A. will decide on filing formal murder charges.
Extradition, or the legal extradition of a suspect from one nation to another in order to be brought to trial, is in progress but may take months. Through August 21, the Los Angeles Times reported that the airport authorities of Peru had questioned Jossimar but sent him home because there was no U.S. warrant for his arrest at that point.
The Lancaster community has banded together in support of Sheylla’s family. At a vigil, her friends called her kind, dedicated to her children, and determined to make a better life for them. Online campaigns have demanded extradition and justice, as well as issued warnings against disinformation that had muddled the case in its initial days.
A tweet from X.
Daily Loud, a widely followed account on the platform X, summarized the story in a viral post but repeated the claim that ICE had detained Sheylla without clarifying its origin. That detail, flagged as misinformation, underscores the need for careful reporting and verified facts in cases that attract international attention.
The investigation remains active. The Montrose Search & Rescue Team continues to support detectives in gathering evidence, while the Medical Examiner works to determine how Sheylla died. Authorities believe Jossimar remains in Peru while the U.S. pursues legal steps to bring him back.
For Sheylla’s family, the wait is agonizing.
“My daughter deserves justice. “We will not stop until the truth is told, and those responsible are held accountable.”
Rocillo said through tears.
