A California man accused in the brutal beheading of his ex-girlfriend with a samurai sword in the middle of a street appeared in court Thursday and entered a "not guilty" plea.

According to CBS News, Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta has been charged with murder in killing Karina Castro, the mother of his toddler daughter.

He also reportedly faces numerous enhancements, including great bodily injury, using a deadly weapon, and a prior felony conviction.

Outside the courtroom after the hearing, Solano Landaeta's lawyer Robert Cummings told reporters that they had entered a "not guilty" by reason of insanity plea.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we have plead him not guilty on the facts as well as not guilty by reason of insanity. That may change as we get psychiatrists reports back," Cummings noted.

The lawyer said his client had been evaluated by a court-appointed physician and found fit to stand trial. However, he noted that Solano Landaeta had exhibited signs of being paranoid schizophrenic since he was seven.

Following the insanity plea, Cummings said his client was assigned two doctors, a psychologist, and a psychiatrist. However, the lawyer further noted that they objected to the psychologist who had done the earlier evaluation because Solano Landaeta was uncomfortable with the doctor.

Cummings said the California man had been entirely silent for two and a half months after the homicide, adding that his client is now communicating more after changing his diet.

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Victim's Father Says California Man's Plea 'Upsetting'

The family of the victim believes that the defendant is using the insanity plea to evade punishment for the horrific crime he was accused of committing.

Martin Castro, the victim's father, said he found the insanity plea "not surprising, but still very upsetting." He believes that Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta was only trying to delay the trial process.

"He's just dragging this out as much as he can. This insanity thing, there's just no way," Martin said. "There's too much proof out there for everybody to see that he's not insane. He wasn't insane when he did this. He knew exactly what he was doing." 

He further noted that Solano Landaeta even had this "smug look on his face" as he left the courtroom, which according to Martin, was a sign that "he knows what's going on." Solano Landaeta is reportedly set to appear in court again on May 27.

California Man Beheaded His Ex-Girlfriend With a Samurai Sword

Karina Castro was beheaded in the middle of a street in broad daylight by her ex-boyfriend wielding a samurai sword on September 8, 2022.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Department said the killing happened around 11:50 a.m. at Laurel Street and Magnolia Avenue in San Carlos, and multiple witnesses saw the brutal sword attack. Police noted that the crime scene was just outside the victim's home.

Authorities noted that Karina's two daughters, ages 7 and 1, were inside the house at the time but did not witness their mom's beheading. 

Police said there was a history of domestic violence at the home, with Karina getting a temporary restraining order against Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta in April last year.

On the day Karina was killed, investigators believed that the couple started fighting inside the apartment before their fight spilled outside, where the California man used his samurai sword to kill his ex-girlfriend.

A witness told local radio station KGO at the time that the victim's head went underneath a car, and her body was "laying in the back" of the vehicle before authorities covered her up.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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