Man Accused In San Carlos Beheading Deemed Fit To Stand Trial: Doctors

REDWOOD CITY, CA — A man charged in the grisly killing of his ex-girlfriend in San Carlos last summer has been determined by doctors to be mentally competent to stand trial, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said.

Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta, 33, was charged with first-degree murder in the Sept. 8 beheading of Karina Castro, a 27-year-old former Menlo-Atherton High School student and the mother of two, the DA’s office said.

The charges include an enhancement for using a sword.

Landaeta is being held without bail. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison.

Landaeta is the father of one of Castro’s children, an 18-month-old girl. The other child is a 7-year-old girl. He was ordered not to contact either child.

San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Michael Wendler ruled Landaeta is competent to stand trial at a Jan. 26 hearing, The Mercury News reports. Landaeta’s preliminary hearing is scheduled to start March. 1.

“I’m grateful it was taken care of at the beginning of the case,” District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the news outlet.

The evaluation was conducted on the request of Robert Cummings, Landaeta’s attorney.

Castro was killed outside her home in broad daylight.

Landaeta and his victim had been involved in a relationship, but the victim had a restraining order against him, ABC 7 reports.

Child Protective Services took custody of the victim's two children, both girls, 7 and 1 years of age, along with a dog and two cats that were in the house, ABC 7 reports.

Deputies were notified at about 11:50 a.m. about the attack in the area of Magnolia Avenue and Laurel Street near downtown San Carlos and found the woman dead.

The suspect returned to the scene shortly afterward and was arrested on suspicion of the killing, according to the Sheriff's Office.