A woman was stabbed to death Monday afternoon outside the Capitola Mall near the entrance to Macy’s and the mall’s food court.
Tyler Leibelt, 19, of Santa Cruz, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on murder charges later that day, where he was being held without bail, jail records showed.
Based on the investigation so far, detectives believe the attack was a “random act of violence,” and there is no indication the suspect and victim knew one another before the attack, Capitola Police said.
Police were dispatched to the area just before 1pm and found 73-year-old Rachell Summers of Capitola with multiple stab wounds. Though officials administered lifesaving measures, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Capitola Police were assisted by Watsonville Police, the California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, Santa Cruz Police and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, which swarmed the area in a guns-drawn search of the mall.
As officers evacuated the entire mall and shut down surrounding streets, Leibelt called 911 dispatchers and said he was the man who stabbed the victim, according to police radio traffic.
He said he was standing behind the Best Western hotel a few blocks away on 41st Avenue.
Capitola Police officers and Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputies rushed to the area and took Leibelt, who was wearing dark pants, a hoodie and a bloody T-shirt, into custody.
“We’ve had crimes here at the mall, but nothing like this,” said Terry Camion, who has owned Santa Cruz Apparel with his wife at the mall for the past 20 years. “When I saw police running through here with rifles, I knew something big was up. Overall, the police response was top notch—very impressive. And it really helps that the staff here is really involved with training for things like this.”
Police closed the mall, except for the Target store, for the remainder of the day.
A 12-year-old girl, who was shopping at Claire’s with her mother and a friend, said they were forced to evacuate.
“…and then all of a sudden police are telling us that we had to evacuate,” she said. “So we went outside and the police are making us move even further away. We were thinking someone got killed or assaulted. We were really nervous and scared.”
Police also closed a section of Clares Street, where yellow crime scene tape crisscrossed several intersections.
In a social media post, the Capitola Police Department asked anyone who witnessed the attack or took photographs or video, or who has other information that may assist the investigation, to call the department at 831-475-4242.
The Capitola Police Department is working 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.
Leibelt’s criminal history is not available online, and Capitola Police Chief Sarah Ryan declined to comment on his background.
He also faces an enhancement alleging he committed the offense while out on bail.
Summers was reportedly a manager at Art of Santa Cruz, an art gallery next to the Target store. According to media reports, she had just picked up her paycheck and was heading to the bank when she was attacked.
I see from other articles in your publication that you don’t mention ethnicity. Why did you feel the need to mention it in this article?
Should we conceal the ethnicity of the barbaric murderer?
Wonder how many times liberal judges have let him go without punishment prior to this.
Wonder how many times liberal judges have let him out previously?
I am 100% sure Steve Trujillo wants to bans knives…
Yes, why the need to identify the ethnicity of one of the two people involved and not the other?
Usually suspect!
Usually suspect!
Im glad they mentioned it
If this was a White man who stabbed a black woman it would be national news! I hope they fry his ass!
I’m will say it one more time get over yourselves get over your petty issues about color and ethnicity. This was a woman who was killed in cold blood
And you just don’t get it. What about her family? What about her friends? Will this make yourself feel better? The fact that an innocent woman has been killed in cold blood . At this point, why don’t you ask her family or children or anybody else that is affected by this heinous crime if they’re worried about the ethnicity of the perpetrator?. I can tell you they’re thinking about the death of a loved one!
and you wonder why some still support the death penalty….
It’s about the culture not the race of the perpetrator and unfortunately, people like you will never understand these people cannot coexist amongst themselves let alone others
No, this is about accountability and public safety. The suspect had reportedly already been charged with a felony and was released on bail before this 73-year-old artist was killed. This could have been prevented. The justice system must take credible risks to the community more seriously. If the facts show that this tragedy could have been prevented, officials owe the public an honest explanation and meaningful reform!
Partially true but first one must identify the roots of the problem and that is this culture consistently impacts society in the most negative way, overwhelming society in whole – including this judicial system responsible for releasing criminals back onto the streets. The “accountability and public safety” explanation / reform wished for will not happen as the Judicial system today is not about law and order. Criminal offenses all across the country have been minimized as have been the rights of law abiding citizens so that no one is at fault. Stores close and move away from these people then labeled racist followed by law suits. De-prosecution and de-policing is everywhere, everyday. Radicalized prosecutors implement DEI and racial ideologies minimize perpetrators offenses and lessening the law abiding victims rights by not enforcing the law. Everything that is happening with in judicial system today is a function of disparate Impact which is to negate right from wrong
This is amazing! WTF! I can’t believe how this person (Leibelt) was allowed to walk amoung us in search of some to kill in cold blood. He has had history of being in a psych facility for having homicidal thoughts and fantasies and was released back into society by a court of law, but the homicidal thoughts never left him.
On the morning of his offense, this guy casually walks into a Big 5 store and purchases a knife; then, walks around in search of someone to kill for no reason other than to fulfill a fantasy. His first potential victim was a guy sitting in car but changed his mind because of being in a car. His second potential victim was another lady, but decided not because of too many people around. Then he found his victim, a 73 year old grandma walking to the bank to cash her paycheck…
The part that gets me is why no one is protesting against this guy being sent back into the community to fulfill his fantasy. If this was police involved, LGBQ attack, or an ICE incident there would be protests, riots, and civil unrest. But grandma who was brutally murdered for no reason by some Nut Bar who was sent free because he has rights to refuse treatment. This is just wrong. We can do better as a society. The scary part is they walk among us…how many times dose something like this have to happen before MH law are changed
Lets out law knives instead of addressing the real of of failed liberal policies and laws being down played by liberal judges.
OMG! You’re really going to toss in the card on this horrific incident. Get a frik’n clue! You should be more concerned about why this guy is walking around our community. How clueless can you be…?