A California man was detained on suspicion of murder on Thursday after it was claimed that he used a sword to cut off a woman’s head.
Deputies from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office found the victim dead at around 11:50 a.m. in San Carlos after being flagged down by a witness, law enforcement sources told KNTV.
The sources told the neighbourhood site that she had had her head slashed by a blade.
The victim and the suspect were acquainted, though it wasn’t immediately apparent how they were related, according to the report.
He was taken into custody after he returned to the scene.
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Eamonn Allen said during an afternoon media briefing that a “stabbing instrument” had been used, without specifying what kind, according to the outlet. He did not provide additional details.
“Anytime someone loses their life, it’s certainly a tragedy,” Allen told reporters at a press conference. “As far as the shocking nature of it, I do know that the deputies that first arrived on scene were a little beset by the scene. We are providing them peer support. We are also providing support for the witnesses that were on scene as well because there were several civilian witnesses.”
Authorities said the incident seems to be isolated and that there is no threat to the community.
San Carlos is about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose.