Threats made on social media to expose secrets may have led to the brutal death of a young woman in the San Francisco Bay Area last week.
In a horrific Thursday attack in broad daylight, a man beheaded Karina Castro, 25, in the middle of the street in full view of several witnesses in the city of San Carlos, which is between San Francisco and San Jose.
Raphael Solano Landaeta, 33, has been arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of murdering Castro.
The victim and suspect are the parents of a 1-year-old daughter.
KGO-TV reported more than a dozen contentious Snapchat messages between the two the day before Castro’s grisly slaying.
Young California mother beheaded on street identified, new info released on man arrested in attack https://t.co/6j9Nf6TOCv
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) September 10, 2022
In the messages obtained by the news organization, Castro threatens to tell the world about Landaeta’s rape conviction involving a minor, as well as a sexual relationship he had with another man.
He refers to Castro as “snitch lip” and offers up a chilling warning to her: “F*** around and find out.”
Should this suspect face the maximum penalty if convicted?
She retorts by saying, “U wanna put a target on my back, ur homies gunna kno the real u.”
Castro goes on to say, “Dude, go head try and take my a** out.”
Just before noon on Thursday, according to KRON-TV, Castro and Landaeta had a confrontation in the street outside her apartment that ended with her losing her life in shocking fashion.
Landaeta fled the scene on foot immediately after the killing, according to KRON. He returned, however, unarmed, and was arrested.
According to reports, state social workers have taken custody of the couple’s daughter, as well as Castro’s other daughter, 7, from a previous relationship.
Both children were inside Castro’s apartment at the time of the attack.
Castro’s father and grandmother told KGO that the suspect is a diagnosed schizophrenic on medication who drank excessively.
The family said Landaeta was violent with Castro, prompting her to take out a restraining order against him in April.
Nevertheless, she continued to interact with him.
While some media reports claimed a sword was used to kill Castro, police have described the weapon used in the attack, which has not yet been found, as a “stabbing instrument.”
#BREAKING UPDATE: Sources say the victim’s two kids were inside the residence when the brutal crime happened outside on the street. The San Mateo Co. Sheriff’s Department is still looking for the “stabbing instrument” used as the weapon. https://t.co/1Rx9resWT6
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) September 9, 2022
The suspect’s arraignment, originally scheduled for Friday afternoon, has been pushed back to Monday.
