Pregnant woman killed in random attack in Salinas

SALINAS - A pregnant woman was stabbed to death in a random attack outside her home by a man with a long criminal record who was once declared by a court mentally unfit, authorities said.

Salinas police said Mariana Jurado, 26, was leaving for work Tuesday morning when Garrett Scheff stabbed her multiple times, the Californian reported.

"This is a senseless, violent crime. Mariana did not know him at all," Salinas Police Commander John Murray said.

Jurado was communicating with officers and provided a description of Scheff while medical personnel helped her. She died at a hospital, Murray said.

Police arrested Scheff a block away shortly afterward on suspicion of first-degree murder. It wasn't immediately clear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

"I can tell you this, she was very brave," Murray said. “She was telling us what happened.”

Court records showed Scheff's criminal history dates to 1995 and involves residential burglary, possession of a control substance, theft and other charges, the Californian reported.

Monterey County Superior Court records show Scheff was declared mentally unfit to stand trial in 2015 in a previous criminal case.

Neighbor Monica Cardova, who heard Jurado being attacked, placed flowers and candles at the spot where Jurado was attacked.

"Her screams were honestly something unexplainable," Cardova said.

___

Information from: The Salinas Californian, http://https://www.thecalifornian.com/