Who is Luis Gustavo Aroyo-Lopez? California man on the run after he murdered and decapitated his female relative
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA: Authorities in California are currently trying to track down a man in his early 20s who has allegedly murdered one of his female relatives by beheading her before escaping with the victim's severed head. The 24-year-old Luis Gustavo Aroyo-Lopez, of Santa Rosa, California, is wanted by law enforcement on a homicide warrant for his arrest in the spine-chilling crime, police said.
According to a news release from the Santa Rosa Police Department, officers arrived at a residence at about 3.40 pm on Thursday, November 2, in the 2500 block of Pomo Trail regarding a possible homicide. The emergency responders made their way into the residence upon arrival and found a dead woman.
Aroyo-Lopez was on probation
According to the authorities, detectives said they determined that Aroyo-Lopez killed the victim before leaving. Aroyo-Lopez was recently released from prison and is said to be a relative of the victim.
“It is believed Aroyo-Lopez took the victim’s head with him when he left the residence, and he may still be in possession of it,” police wrote in the release.
The criminal was placed on probation as per the release. He had been incarcerated following convictions on assault with a deadly weapon and weapons possession charges. However, those charges were not related to the victim in this incident.
Authorities provide detailed description of alleged killer
Authorities described Aroyo-Lopez as Hispanic, about 5 foot 6 and weighing about 150 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a long-sleeve black hooded sweatshirt or jacket, black pants, and white shoes.
Aroyo-Lopez also has a large tattoo of the number “420” and a marijuana leaf on the left side of his head. He is believed to have left the Pomo Trail home, walking south on Iroquois Street.
Victim's neighbor speaks out after the incident
One of the victim’s neighbors spoke to San Francisco CBS affiliate KPIX about what she witnessed before and after the horrifying incident.
The neighbor, identified only as “Jessica” because she feared for her safety if the suspect were to return, told the station that she saw Aroyo-Lopez casually walking in the direction of the victim’s home at about noon on Thursday.
“He just walked a normal pace and, made an exact turn up the walkway, and knocked on the door. I paused over here with my dog just to make sure my neighbor knew who he was,” Jessica told the station.
“[The victim] was surprised and happy, and I heard the word ‘you.’ They were just, you know, talking and then the door closed, and I thought, ‘Phew! She knows the guy.'”
The neighbor then noted that about three hours later she heard a woman run out of the house in a panic after finding the victim’s headless body.
“She kept yelling ‘No head!’ and I wasn’t sure what she meant,” Jessica said, adding that the woman repeatedly went in and out of the victim’s house, apparently looking for the victim’s head.
The woman who found the victim and was heard yelling was the victim’s sister, The Press Democrat reported.
Aroyo-Lopez should be considered 'armed and dangerous'
Authorities have warned that Aroyo-Lopez should be considered "armed and dangerous." The police statement read, "Anyone who sees him is advised to notify the police immediately. Anyone with information relevant to the case is urged to contact the Santa Rosa Police at 707-543-3590 or through the department’s tipline at www.srcity.org/CrimeTips. A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to Aroyo-Lopez’s arrest."