A woman was found decapitated in her home in Santa Rosa, California.
The suspect was identified as the woman’s grandson – Luis Gustavo Aroyo-Lopez, 24, a man who was recently released from prison and on community supervision.
On Thursday, November 2, 2023, at around 3:40 p.m., the Santa Rosa police responded to an incident at the 2500 block of Pomo Trail and discovered a decapitated woman who was identified as Elvia Lopez-Arroyo, 64. The investigation led them to identify her grandson Aroyo-Lopez as the prime suspect. A witness identified him at the home earlier in the day, interacting briefly with Elvia Lopez-Arroyo before the witness later heard screams from the victim’s friend about the discovery of her headless body.
The accused has a criminal background that includes assault with a deadly weapon. He was arrested in San Francisco the day after the attack. 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.
The victim’s head was recovered by the police near the Santa Rosa Creek on Saturday, November 4, 2023,
Aroyo-Lopez was detained without incident in San Francisco and was taken into custody at the Sonoma County jail, where he faces charges of murder and a felony count.
The Santa Rosa Police Department and San Francisco Police Department are urging anyone with information related to this crime to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department’s tip line.
