Alabama Man Found Beheaded with Chainsaw, Mother of His Child Arrested on Murder Charge

Benito Morales Guzman, 41, was found dismembered last month, leading to a murder charge against his girlfriend Joselina Elizabeth Lopez, per police

An Alabama woman has been arrested in connection with the decapitated body of her boyfriend found in a car at their home last month.

Authorities found the "dismembered and decapitated" body of Benito Morales Guzman, 41, at a Slocomb, Ala., home on Tuesday, Aug. 27, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency confirms with PEOPLE.

The Geneva County coroner confirmed the identity of the victim with PEOPLE, further noting that Guzman was found beheaded with his body "completely dismembered."

On Thursday, Aug. 29, the agency announced in a press statement that they arrested 26-year-old Joselina Elizabeth Lopez on a murder charge in connection with body found in the couple's home.

Authorities responded to the home after Guzman’s co-worker notified the sheriff’s office because he had not shown up for work, per AL.com.

When they arrived in the home, they smelled a "strong odor of decomposition" from a car and saw several garbage bags in the vehicle, ALEA's Agent Phillip Schuler said during a bond hearing on Wednesday, Sep. 4, per the outlet.

There they found Guzman’s remains "mutilated into multiple pieces" across several bags in the car along with an electric chainsaw, knives and cleaning supplies, the outlet reported, citing unspecified court records.

“The chainsaw found in the vehicle still had human flesh on it,” authorities noted in the record, per AL.com. They also found blood on a box of baby formula in the diaper bag, court records stated.

The couple share a 4-year-old child, the coroner confirmed with PEOPLE. Prosecutors and investigators suspect that child, who has autism and unspecified disabilities, was present during the alleged killing, per WDHN.

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Guzman claimed during a court appearance that she was acting in self-defense, per WDHN and WTVY. She was denied bond by a judge, per AL.com, FOX 10 TV and WDHN.

It wasn't immediately clear if Guzman has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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