St. Charles Mayor Sara McDowell joined the City Council Friday in expressing her "deepest condolences" to the two young children of a 27-year-old woman who was murdered Thursday by her ex-boyfriend.
"Yesterday, our community was shocked by the tragic murder of a young mother in our community. Thanks to the quick reaction of neighbors who called 911, San Carlos officers were able to respond quickly and immediately apprehend a suspect. It appears that the victim and the suspects knew each other," he said.
"The City Council and its staff join our community in expressing our heartfelt condolences to the two young children who lost their mother in this horrific and senseless act of violence and to all the family members, friends and loved ones of the victims who are suffering from this loss," he stressed.
The City of San Carlos and the Community Foundation are partnering to accept and hold donations in trust for the future benefit of the victim's children. 100 percent of all donations will go to the victims' children. Anyone interested in making such a donation can visit. cfsancarlos.org/sept8-childrensfund.
"As we mourn together and process this event as a community, remember to take care of yourself and be aware of your neighbors and loved ones. There is no doubt that the resilience and heart of the City of Good Living will shine through the darkness of this tragedy," he noted.
Just this Friday, the community of San Carlos held a prayer vigil and called for justice after a mother of two was allegedly beheaded by her estranged boyfriend.
Friends, neighbors and members of the San Carlos community, who attended the vigil, described the victim, Karina Castro, 27, as a beautiful person who lived for her children and did everything she could to keep them safe.
On Thursday, September 8, investigators said that Karina Castro, mother of two little girls, ages 7 and 1, was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, José Landaeta Solano, who may have used a samurai sword to decapitate her.
"If he's willing to behead my daughter in broad daylight with his children right there, he needs to die," Martin Castro Jr, the victim's father, told NBC Bay Area.
"I feel like this is a horror movie that I have to wake up from," said Martin Castro Jr.
Agents noted that Solano had been contacted several times in the past for domestic violence and other crimes, while neighbors said the victim was afraid of her attacker.
Solano has been jailed and is expected to be in court this Monday, where Martin Castro Jr. said he will plead for the death penalty. For now, Martin Castro Jr.'s goal is to be reunited with his granddaughters.
"I can't even feel anything right now except pain, I'm empty," Karina's father said.
According to the Violence Policy Center91 percent of women murdered by men are victims of someone they knew.
According to a study by that organization that was conducted in 2018, in California, of the 192 female homicide victims, 71 were white, 57 were Latina, 30 were of African descent, 20 were Asian or Pacific Islander, 3 were American Indian or Alaska Native, and 11 were of unknown ethnicity.
In the case of homicides in which the relationship between the victim and the aggressor could be identified, 88 percent of the female victims were of African descent, while 88 percent of the victims - 168 out of 192 - were killed by someone they knew.
This shows that seven times more women were killed by a man they knew than by strangers.
Of the homicides in which the weapon used could be identified, 49 percent of the female victims - 88 out of 180 - were killed with firearms. Of these, 70 percent - 62 victims - were killed with guns. There were 38 women killed with knives or other cutting instruments, 24 women killed with blunt objects, and 15 by bodily force.
Of the victims who knew their offenders, 68 percent - 115 victims - were wives, common-law wives, ex-wives or girlfriends of the offenders.
Of the homicides in which the circumstances could be identified, 74 percent - 106 of 144 - were not related to the commission of any other crime. Of these, 88 percent - 93 homicides - were related to arguments between the victim and the aggressor.
Attacks against women continue to advance throughout the country, leaving thousands of children defenseless and uncertain of what their lives will hold without their mothers. This situation should alert authorities to provide stronger protections for victims, as well as greater mental health care.
With information from Bay City News and NBC Bay Area.
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