Pursuit suspect attempts to swim away from authorities
A man wanted on a felony warrant spent about 90 minutes in the Pacific Ocean off Will Rogers State Beach before Los Angeles County lifeguards surrounded him and helped take him into custody. (Credit: FOX 11 Los Angeles)
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Police are investigating a “random” attack where a woman was stabbed to death in the parking lot of a shopping mall in a California beach town.
Rachell Summers, 73, from Capitola, was discovered with multiple stab wounds outside the food court to the Capitola Mall; it happened just before 1 p.m. Monday.
The mall is located a little more than a mile from Capitola Beach, a popular beach resort in the Santa Cruz area.
A woman was found stabbed to death outside a shopping mall in Capitola, California. The popular beach resort town is in the Santa Cruz area. (Getty Images: Ed-Ni-Photo)
The Capitola Police Department announced suspect Tyler Leibelt, 19, was arrested on charges related to the knife attack.
Police said, “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.”
According to court records, Leibelt is charged with murder, among other felonies.
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Tyler Leibelt, 19, is accused of stabbing and killing a woman outside a shopping mall in Capitola, California. He was arrested shortly after the alleged incident. (Capitola Police Department)
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One of the charges listed, “PC667.5(C)-ENH-VIOLENT FELONY ALLEGATION” or California Penal Code 667.5, which reveals the suspect may have been charged in a previous felony case.
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That means Leibelt, if convicted in this case, may be subject to substantially longer incarceration times and stricter rules.
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A woman was found stabbed to death outside the Capitola Mall in Capitola, California on Monday, police say. (Google Maps)
As for the victim, Summers was a local artist who managed the Art of Santa Cruz art gallery, which is now closed for the remainder of the week, the New York Post reports.
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“Our hearts remain with Rachell’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic and senseless act of violence,” the police department said in a social post.
The investigation is ongoing.