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.
