Former UC Santa Cruz student allegedly strangled girlfriend at beach
02/26/2024 2:51 pm PST
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (TCD) -- A 20-year-old man is in custody after allegedly killing his 21-year-old girlfriend on a state beach last week.
On Friday, Feb. 23, at around 1:16 a.m., officers with the Santa Cruz Police Department responded to Seabright State Beach on Cliff Drive to a report of a possible homicide. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, a man initially called police and told dispatchers he strangled his girlfriend with his hands.
At the scene, officers located the male suspect, Samuel Stone, near the beach waterline and took him into custody without incident. Police found Stone's unresponsive girlfriend right next to him. Authorities attempted lifesaving measures before the victim was transported to Dominican Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
KSBW-TV reports the victim was on life support before her death.
A spokesperson for the University of California Santa Cruz told the news source Stone is a former student.
The university reportedly said in a statement, "We are shocked to learn that a former student has been arrested on suspicion of murder by the Santa Cruz Police Department. We mourn the tragic loss of life and send our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends."
Stone was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on a charge of homicide, where he remains held.
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