A 20-year-old California man is in custody after police say he allegedly strangled and killed his girlfriend on a state beach.
Around 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 23, officers responded to Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz after receiving a report of a suspected homicide, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department.
Officials said a man, later identified as Samuel Stone, initially called police and told dispatchers he murdered his girlfriend, strangling her with his hands, according to reports obtained by the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Authorities located Stone at the scene took him into custody without incident.
Officers then located Stone’s unresponsive 21-year-old girlfriend, whose identity was not released.
Authorities attempted lifesaving measures before the victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Stone was charged with murder and was being held at the Santa Cruz County Jail without bond.
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A spokesperson for the University of California Santa Cruz told KSBW that Stone is a former student and the female victim was a current student.
In a statement from the university, they said, "It is with the deepest sorrow that I share the news that one of our students succumbed on Friday to fatal injuries she endured early that morning at Seabright State Beach…I offer my sincerest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, teachers and classmates. Her loss is heartbreaking."
