Woman strangled to death on Santa Cruz beach, ex-UCSC student arrested

Amy Larson
·2 min read

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON) — A young woman was strangled on a Santa Cruz beach and her boyfriend was booked into jail on murder charges, police said.

Investigators said the beach homicide happened after 1 a.m. on February 23 at Seabright State Beach. Santa Cruz Police Department officers said they found the 21-year-old woman unconscious on the sand near the water.

Samuel Stone, 20, was still on the beach and next to the woman’s body when officers arrived, police said.

“Investigators learned that Mr. Stone and the victim were in a dating relationship. Mr. Stone was later booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on a charge of homicide,” SCPD wrote.

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The victim was pronounced deceased at nearby Dominican Hospital. University officials said she was a University of California Santa Cruz student.

Stone is a former UC Santa Cruz student, assistant vice chancellor Scott Hernandez-Jason told KRON4 on Monday.

Hernandez-Jason wrote, “We are shocked to learn that a former student has been arrested on suspicion of homicide by the Santa Cruz Police Department. We mourn the tragic loss of life and send our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends. We are fully cooperating with investigators.”

Stone attended UCSC between the summer of 2021 and the fall of 2023. As a student, he pursued a BA degree in business management economics, according to Hernandez-Jason. Stone is not currently enrolled at the university, he added.

UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive wrote in a message to the campus community, “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. At the family’s request, we are not sharing her name.”

Other than a minor traffic ticket, the accused killer has a clean prior criminal record within the county, court records show. Stone remained in custody on Monday afternoon.

Larive said students can reach out to Slug Support or counseling services in the wake of the tragedy. “Please know that we have resources in place if you need help dealing with this tragic loss or processing the news,” the chancellor wrote.

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