A woman was beheaded with a sword in the streets of a Bay Area neighborhood in California on Thursday in front of stunned witnesses, according to reports.
The victim, a woman in her 20s with two daughters who has not officially been identified by police, knew her suspected killer, according to law enforcement.
Victim Obtained Restraining Order Against Suspect in April
Law enforcement sources told KGO-TV that in April the victim had obtained a temporary restraining order against the man. The suspect, identified as Jose Solano Landaeta of Hayward, is now into custody after being arrested at the scene of the beheading, where authorities said he returned.
Deputies arrived within minutes of the call, and shortly thereafter the suspect returned to the scene and was detained. A witness told The Chronicle that the suspect began yelling and vomiting as police placed him into custody.
Couple were Previously in an Abusive Relationship.
The victim was found dead outside her home. The two were previously in a relationship apparently marred by domestic violence.
According to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called on the scene of the incident around 11:50 a.m. on Thursday. “Deputies were flagged down in the area of Magnolia and Laurel in the city of San Carlos by witnesses reporting an assault in progress,” the department wrote on Twitter.
“Deputies arrived within minutes and located an adult female, deceased. Shortly after, the suspect returned to the scene and was detained by deputies. He has since been placed under arrest for murder,” the department added.
Victim’s Head Cut Off with a Sword
Although law enforcement officials that the woman was killed with a “stabbing instrument,” sources told KGO-TV that the woman had been beheaded.
Law enforcement records obtained by the local news outlet show that just before noon on Thursday reports came in that the woman’s head had been cut off by a sword. At 12:14 p.m., the notes indicated “Children are there, scared to come … want their mom.”
The woman’s children were not present at the scene of the beheading, according to the Sheriff’s Department. According to KGO-TV’s reports, the two young girls were found inside the home.
During a press conference held on the same day of the murder, Lt. Eamon Allen said the weapon “is still outstanding” and deputies are looking to locate the stabbing instrument.
Neighbor Chapel Thorborne described the disturbing scene he encountered as he was returning home around noon Thursday, only steps from his front door. “The head was underneath the car and she was laying in the back of the car- just severed,” he described. “And they covered her up.”
This is not the first time a woman in an abusive relationship has been beheaded by her partner. In July 2021, a 55-year-old woman was decapitated by her abusive boyfriend no a street in Shakopee, Minnesota, as previously reported.
