California: 19-Year-Old Accused of Fatally Stabbing Elderly Artist Had 'Homicidal Fantasies'
Article excerpt
A 73-year-old artist was brutally stabbed to death outside a mall in Capitola, California, on Monday in broad daylight. The post California: 19-Year-Old Accused of Fatally Stabbing Elderly Artist Had ‘Homicidal Fantasies’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A 73-year-old artist was brutally stabbed to death outside a mall in Capitola, California, on Monday in broad daylight.
The victim, Rachell Summers, managed an art gallery inside the Capitola Mall and was a stranger to the suspect, 19-year-old Tyler Leibelt, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
The violent incident happened a few minutes before 1:00 p.m.
“Our hearts remain with Rachell’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic and senseless act of violence,” the Capitola Police Department said in a social media post Tuesday.
“Based on the investigation, detectives continue to believe this was a random act of violence, and there is no indication that the suspect knew the victim prior to the attack,” the agency continued. “The Capitola Police Department is working closely with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Unit, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office and the Santa Cruz Anti-Crime Team to process the scene and continue the investigation.”
Summers was reportedly on her way to a bank to make a deposit when she was targeted , per KSBW. The outlet said prosecutors sought a no-bail hold on the suspect.
The report cited court documents that said when Leibelt was arrested, “he indicated that he had had homicidal ‘fantasies’ for awhile and that he had previously disclosed these fantasies, but he ‘kept getting let out’ of custody.”
He also said he “felt a desire to kill someone” and eventually took a bus to the mall. He went into a sporting good store and reportedly bought a pair of switchblade knives, saying he wanted to be able to hold them in both hands while he was killing a person.
The suspect reportedly considered killing several other people in the area until he saw Summers, whom he approached from behind.
“The court document says Summers was stabbed a total of 11 times in the back and center chest, and suffered defensive stab wounds,” the KSBW report stated.
The suspect fled the scene and eventually went to a gas station, bought a drink, and called police officers about what had happened. The suspect also reportedly confessed to murdering Summers.
“In November of last year, Judge Nancy De La Peña issued an emergency gun violence restraining order at the request of Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputies, who stated that Leibelt ‘expressed a desire to cause a mass casualty event.’ The order further stated that Leibelt ‘wrote a goodbye letter expressing a desire to kill as many people as possible,'” the KSBW report noted.