Murder Suicide at City Hall

By Jorge Casuso

Sept. 29 -- A woman on her way to the Police Department for a child custody visitation exchange was fatally stabbed on the City Hall lawn Saturday morning by her estranged husband, who then stabbed himself to death in front of more than 100 homeless people participating in a free meal program.

It is the second murder suicide in Santa Monica in two weeks.

The incident occurred at about 9:50 a.m., when the man confronted the victim, their six-year-old son and the woman's domestic violence advocate, police said. He immediately attacked the victim, punching and then stabbing her multiple times in the upper torso, police said.

"He reached into his jacket and pulled out a knife," said Lt. Fred Corral, of the LA County Coroners investigation division. "She was stabbed repeatedly. The counselor took the child and ran to police department for help. It's sad, very sad."

The man turned away, walked several feet and stabbed himself several times in the chest, police said. He immediately fell wounded to the ground.

An officer returning to the station took custody of the knife and summoned Fire Department paramedics who responded and transported the victim to Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:02 a.m., police said.

The suspect, identified as Juan Carlos Vasquez, 27, died at the scene, Corral said.

The victim is described as a 21-year-old Hispanic woman who had been living with her son in a battered woman's shelter in Santa Clarita, police said. Her identity is being withheld pending identification of her next of kin in Mexico, Corral said.

Police believe Vasquez may have been residing with a relative in West Los Angeles. A restraining order was filed against him after a domestic violence assault in November in West Hollywood, according to police.

A court order dated September 26 directed the victim and suspect to conduct their child visitation/custody exchange Saturday morning in the police department lobby, police said.

The autopsies are scheduled for Monday, Corral said.

The child has been taken in by County Child Services, he said.

When the homicide took place, more than 100 homeless people were gathered on the front lawn of City Hall for free meals and a clothing exchange. Police identified the witnesses, who gave statements and were photographed.

They were then moved to the front lawn of the County Court building, where the meal program resumed, while police conducted an investigation at the scene.

A RAND employee, who asked to remain anonymous, witnessed what he thought was a fight from his office across the street.

"A few minutes before ten, I heard several women screaming," the witness said. "One man was on top of another (person) striking the face. It looked like pounding, like a fight. I had no inkling there was a knife. Someone approached, and at that moment I lost focus."

The witness saw the attacker surrounded and, thinking the incident was over, returned to his work. When he glanced up, he saw an officer near the assailant.

According to the witness, half a dozen police cars and a motorcycle officer then converged "from all parts of the City," followed by two paramedic trucks.

The incident comes two weeks after a couple was found dead in the living room of their home on September 15, the victims of an apparent murder suicide.

In that incident, Stephen D'Anjolell, 52, apparently killed his wife, Julie Ann D'Anjolell, 51, and then himself in the couple's apartment on the 900 block of Euclid Street. Both deaths were reported as resulting from gunshot wounds to the head.

The Robbery / Homicide Unit of the Santa Monica Police Department is handling the investigation into Saturday's incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 310-458-8451.