A woman was found decapitated in a home in Santa Rosa, California.

Luis Gustavo Aroyo-Lopez, 24, recently released from prison and on community supervision, was named as the suspect in the homicide.

On Thursday, November 2, 2023 at around 3:40 p.m., Santa Rosa police responded to an incident at the 2500 block of Pomo Trail where they discovered a decapitated woman who was identified as Elvia Lopez-Arroyo. The investigation led them to identify Aroyo-Lopez, the grandson of the victim, as the prime suspect. A witness placed him at the scene earlier in the day, interacting briefly with the woman before the witness later heard screams about the discovery of her headless body.

The accused killer has a criminal background including assault with a deadly weapon. He was arrested in San Francisco the following day. He is suspected of removing his grandmother’s head from the scene of the murder. The full details of the crime remain under investigation by Santa Rosa law enforcement.

In San Francisco, authorities detained Aroyo-Lopez without incident. He was taken into custody at the Sonoma County jail, where he faces charges of murder and a felony count.

The victim’s head was recovered by the police near the Santa Rosa Creek on Saturday, November 4, 2023, 

The Santa Rosa Police Department and San Francisco Police Department are urging anyone with information related to this case to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department’s tip line.