A suspect is in custody after a California woman was found beheaded this week. Now the victim's father is speaking out.
According to ABC 7 in San Francisco, the victim is 27-year-old Karina Castro, a mom of two young girls, ages 1 and 7. Her ex-boyfriend, 33-year-old Jose Landaeta Solano, who also goes by Rafa Solano, is the prime suspect in her murder.
The victim's father, Marty Castro, told the outlet that he would "beg" his daughter to stop seeing Solano, fearing that he might seriously harm her one day.
Karina Castro's murder came to light on Thursday when, according to a police release, witnesses "flagged down" officers and told them they had seen "an assault in progress." When police arrived at the scene just outside the victim's home, they found Castro, already dead. "Shortly thereafter, the suspect returned to the scene," the release said. He was promptly arrested.
Solano is the father of Castro's 1-year-old child. Police said that in April, the deceased was granted a restraining order against him. However, after that, they continued to see one another.
Knowing he was dangerous, Castro's father tried to warn her. "Every time I saw her, I would beg her. Don't talk to him. Leave him and it seemed like the more I did that, the more she would see him," Marty Castro said. "She was an amazing girl."
The victim's grandmother, Danielle Gannon, said she "was an amazing woman, very stubborn, determined to raise her daughters on her own." She also spoke out about Karina Castro's abuser. "He is a diagnosed schizophrenic on meds," she said. "And he would use that as an excuse for his behavior. He drank excessively and you're not supposed to do that on those kind of medications."
According to Snapchat messages obtained by ABC 7, the victim was threatening to expose the suspect's relationship with a man, which led to an in-person argument. "He got really mad, went to the trunk of his car, pulled out whatever it was and killed her right there behind her car," her father said. Multiple outlets reported that the suspect used a sword in the murder.
Chapel Thorborne, the victim's neighbor, described the horror of the scene, saying, "The head was underneath the car and she was laying in back of the car, just severed, and then they covered her up."
Castro's father issued a warning to others whose family members are being abused. "If there's somebody out there abusing your daughter, don't take off," he said. "Don't let it go. Don't take no for an answer. You feel responsible, no matter what anyone says."
The family is now fighting for custody of the victim's children. "I want those girls," Castro's grandmother declared. "That's what I want first, then I want Rafa to fry in jail. I don't care what happens to him."
A GoFundMe has been set up for the daughters Castro leaves behind.
