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Pregnant Woman Stabbed To Death In 'Random' Act Of Violence In Front Of Her California Home
Mariana Jurado was leaving for work when a stranger named Garrett Scheff allegedly attacked her.
A pregnant woman was stabbed to death by a stranger in front of her California home.
Salinas police said Mariana Jurado, 26, was leaving for work Tuesday morning when Garrett Scheff stabbed her multiple times, according to the Salinas Californian. Scheff has a lengthy criminal record and was once declared by a court to be mentally unfit, authorities said.
Jurado was communicating with officers and provided a description of Scheff while medical personnel helped her. Despite attempts to keep her alive, she died at a hospital.
There is no known motive for the attack and it has been attributed to randomness.
"Jurado did not know Scheff, and by all accounts this was a random act of violence," the Salinas Police Department said in a press release, obtained by the Californian.
Police arrested Scheff a block away shortly after the attack on suspicion of first-degree murder. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
“I can tell you this, she was very brave,” Salinas Police Commander John Murray has said. “She was telling us what happened.”
Court records showed Scheff’s criminal history dates to 1995 and involves charges of residential burglary, possession of a control substance, theft and others, the Californian reported.
Monterey County Superior Court records show Scheff was declared mentally unfit to stand trial in 2015 in a previous criminal case.
Neighbor Monica Cardova placed flowers and candles at the spot where Jurado was attacked.
“Her screams were honestly something unexplainable,” Cardova said.
An obituary for Jurado describes her as an animal lover who supported her local SPCA.
“Mariana enjoyed life to the fullest, she had the opportunity to travel to 10 countries and three continents,” it states. “Seeing the wonderful things this world had to offer her. Mariana was a person, strong with courage, against an injustice and a great love for life.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
