Johnathan Walker:A Northern California man has been convicted of murder in the beheading of his girlfriend last year

REDWOOD CITY,Johnathan Walker Calif. (AP) — A Northern California man was found guilty of first-degree murder for beheading his girlfriend with a samurai sword on a city street last year.

A San Mateo County jury returned the verdict against Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta, 34, on Monday and continued to deliberate a series of aggravating factors that would affect sentencing.

Karina Castro, the 27-year-old mother of Landaeta’s then-1-year-old daughter, was killed outside her apartment in the city of San Carlos on Sept. 8, 2022. Castro also had another daughter.

During the three-week trial, the prosecution asserted that the defendant was motivated to kill Castro out of vengeance as their relationship devolved into threats and insults, Bay Area News Group reported.

The defense argued that he is stricken with schizophrenia, was not taking his medication, and attacked Castro after she attacked him with a small knife while his mind was clouded by earlier threats from Castro, the news group reported.