A 73-year-old woman was stabbed to death in a random daylight knife attack near the food court exit of a California mall on Wednesday afternoon.
Officers responded to reports of a stabbing at about 12:47 p.m at the Capitola Mall near the Central California coast.
The victim was identified by KTLA as Rachell Summers, who was found bloodied on a street across from the shopping center.
She had suffered multiple stab wounds.
Officers and other first responders immediately began life-saving measures, but Summers died at the scene.
The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Tyler Leibelt, was located nearby and taken into custody.
Detectives believe the savage attack was completely random, police said.
In a statement posted to the Capitola Police Department’s Facebook page, the department said:
“Based on the investigation to date, detectives believe this was a random act of violence, and there is no indication that the suspect and victim knew one another prior to the attack.”
The mall was closed briefly and later reopened.
Police said, “This was an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the community.”
The department added, “The Capitola Police Department extends our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
After KTLA confirmed the names of the victim and suspect, the police department also shared them on Facebook.
The department shared a photo of Liebelt in handcuffs from behind.
Notably missing from the post — or any other posts from the Capitola Police Department — was a mug shot of Liebelt.
Under California state law, it is illegal for departments to share booking photos unless the suspect is an “imminent threat” or a fugitive, according to KCRA-TV.
It was unclear as of Wednesday morning whether police in Capitola were following state law or simply declined to share an image of Liebelt with members of their community.
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