REDWOOD CITY — A person charged with beheading the mom of his younger little one final fall, in a brutal daylight assault witnessed by horrified bystanders on a San Carlos avenue, has been declared match for trial following a ruling on a psychological competency.
Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta, 33, was dominated competent to face trial Jan. 26 following examinations by a court-appointed physician. San Mateo County Superior Courtroom Choose Michael Wendler made the declaration three days after the courtroom obtained a report on the psychological competency analysis.
Courtroom data present that Wender discovered Solano “is presently competent to face trial,” with “legal proceedings restored.”
Solano has been charged with one rely of homicide and a charging enhancement for allegedly utilizing a Samurai sword to kill 27-year-old Karina Castro, a mom of two younger daughters, one among whom is a 1-year-old she shared with Solano.
He faces as much as 26 years to life in jail if convicted on the listed cost. A preliminary listening to, by which the courtroom will decide whether or not there's ample proof to proceed to trial, is scheduled to start March 1.
San Mateo County District Lawyer Steve Wagstaffe reiterated feedback he made in September, when the case was suspended pending the competency hearings, that sorting that dimension out early was higher than on the eleventh hour earlier than trial.
“I’m grateful it was taken care of in the beginning of the case,” Wagstaffe stated Thursday. “I’m glad we are able to now transfer to a preliminary listening to and hopefully after that, trial.”
Simply earlier than midday on Sept. 8, neighbors and witnesses reported seeing Solano violently swinging a sword simply outdoors the house advanced on Laurel Avenue the place Castro lived along with her daughters. Solano was stated to have initially pushed away, however returned to the crime scene the place he was noticed and arrested by deputies with the San Mateo County sheriff’s workplace.
Authorities stated they later discovered “the bloody sword in his automobile which was parked two blocks away.”
On the time of Castro’s demise, Solano had been the topic of a legal protecting order associated to an Oct. 31, 2021 altercation on the house advanced. Courtroom data present Solano was arrested and charged with misdemeanor counts of battery and disturbing the peace, and reached an settlement by which the battery cost was dismissed and he pleaded no contest to the disturbance cost.
Castro and Solano’s relationship was described by pals and neighbors as dysfunctional and turbulent, and that they'd been periodically courting earlier than breaking apart once more final summer time.
Solano stays in custody on the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood Metropolis, the place he's being held with out bail.