Out of respect for the family, our sister station KGO-TV initially withheld the identity of a woman who died in a horrific beheading in San Carlos on Thursday morning. But now that her father and grandmother have consented, we can reveal her identity.
The video in the player up top is an old story.
The mother of a 7-year-old and a 1-year-old girl was Karina Castro, 27. She obtained her GED, went to Menlo-Atherton High School, and worked as a DoorDash driver. Jose Raphael Solano Landaeta, 33, is the man being held after what early eyewitness accounts claimed to be a sword attack. He is the father of Castro’s 1-year-old daughter.
According to Castro’s family, the defendant, Rafa Solano, has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and his behavior varies greatly depending on how well he is managing his medication. The young girls are being fought forcibly by Castro’s father and grandmother from CPS. They claim they learned about the murder online and are angry that the police and social workers didn’t get in touch with them. The murder charges against Solano’s arraignment, which was supposed to occur at 1:30 on Friday, have been postponed.
The initial report is provided below.
Police sources: a woman was beheaded in the middle of San Carlos Street. According to law enforcement sources, a man beheaded a young woman in the middle of the street in front of witnesses on Thursday, according to Dan Noyes of the ABC7 I-Team. According to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, the crime occurred at 11:50 a.m. in the 300-400 block of Laurel Street and Magnolia Avenue.
BEHEADING INVESTIGATION: Lt. Eamonn Allen of San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office short on details: no specifics on TRO or domestic violence calls to address. “Stabbing instrument” used in crime still missing. Kids not present at time of killing… 1/2
— Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) September 8, 2022
At a press conference, Lieutenant Eamon Allen stated that the crime occurred on the street in front of the victim’s home. Two children, who did not witness the crime, lived inside the victim’s house at the time, according to sources who spoke to the I-Dan Team’s Noyes. Lieutenant Allen stated that the victim had two children. According to police reports on the incident that the I-Team was able to obtain, just before noon, there were reports that the woman had her head severed by a sword.
Children “are there, scared to come…want their mom” at 12:14 p.m. The 7-year-old and 1-year-old girls, as well as a dog and two cats who were also inside the house, were taken into custody by CPS. The two allegedly had a long-term relationship, but according to law enforcement sources, the victim obtained a temporary restraining order against the suspect, Jose Solano Landaeta, a resident of Hayward, in April.
Lt. Allen stated at a press conference that “they were there in a matter of minutes and found a deceased female in the street in that area.” “The male suspect returned to the scene shortly after they started working there, and sheriff’s deputies quickly apprehended him. Later took him into custody for murder. We can confirm that the crime committed was with a stabbing weapon. The use of that weapon is still legal.”
That weapon is still being sought after. Although there are few specifics, we know the suspect experienced some medical emergency. After the murder, resident Terry Adams spoke with ABC7 News to inquire, “Why? Why did it take place?” She is attempting to figure out how Thursday’s gruesome killing of their neighbor could have happened, along with other locals who live close to the crime scene.
A 25-year-old woman’s head was severed by a sword, according to broadcasting radio traffic that ABC7 accessed. The only description the sheriff’s office provided for the used weapon—a stabbing implement—was that it had not been located as of Thursday night. Friend Chapel Thorborne described the disturbing scene he saw as he approached his front door on his way home on Thursday at noon.
He said, “She was lying in the back of the car, just severed, and the head was underneath the car. “And they hid her from view,” Thorburn claimed to be acquainted with the couple because they have frequently exchanged fleeting words with him. He claimed to have last seen the man just before the suspect was arrested. Regarding the suspect, he said, “He was hurt, shocked, and disappointed.” I thought, “Yeah, they cut somebody’s head off- just laying there,” as soon as he walked by.
Residents expressed concern for the children and many questions about how could have been committed. Such a terrible crime could. Thorburn stated, “After he cut off her head, he came walking up, him and his two friends. They stopped right in front of me and took him into custody. According to sources, the home where the woman was killed reportedly had a history of domestic violence.
Both first responders and a group of witnesses who saw this tragic situation unfold received peer support from officials. The crime scene is still active, and the neighborhood is in disbelief. Many people are just now getting home from work and finding out about the young mother who was beheaded in the middle of the street during the day.
The victim’s name is kept private until the family has been notified.
“It is tragic whenever someone loses their life. In terms of how shocking it was, I know that the deputies who first arrived on the scene were somewhat overwhelmed by it. Since there were numerous civilian witnesses, we not only offer peer support but also support for the witnesses who were present.”
