Santa Cruz business woman's murder appears to be a random act, police say
Santa Cruz Police arrested Charles Anthony Edwards III, 43, of San Francisco on charges of first-degree murder with personal enhancements.
The incident occurred on around 11:52 a.m. on May 7 when the Santa Cruz Police Department received a report of a knife brandishing and possible stabbing on the 300 block of Broadway.
When Officers arrived they found the victim Shannon Kathleen Collins, 38, of Santa Cruz with multiple stab wounds. Rescue personnel tried to render aid but she was pronounced dead at the scene a few moments later.
The victim, Shannon Collins, was the owner of Camouflage on Pacific Ave.
Police located a male matching the description of the suspect at the intersection of Barson and Campbell Street. Based upon evidence found at the scene and on the suspect, they arrested Charles Anthony Edwards III, 43, who was still holding the blood soaked knife in his hand and trying to get rid of other evidence. Edwards was a homeless man from San Francisco.
Edwards had been in Santa Cruz for about a week before the attack. He had reportedly been staying at a Santa Cruz homeless shelter. Edwards does have an extensive criminal history in San Francisco several of the crimes were of a violent nature.
Charles Anthony Edwards
After their intensive investigation that included interviews with multiple witnesses and Edwards himself, police have established that the victim and Mr. Edwards did not know each other. Police are calling this a senseless, unprovoked and random attack by Edwards.
“Mr. Edwards has a intensive criminal past out of San Francisco several of them are violent” said Greg Peinado of the Santa Cruz District Attorney’s office, “and because he used a knife it carries ‘personal enhancement’ that will increase his time.”
Shannon Kathleen Collins was a well-known business owner in Santa Cruz. She and her husband owned “Camouflage” on Pacific Avenue. It has been reported that she was walking on Broadway Avenue to get to an appointment.
Read More:
Santa Cruz Sentinel: Police call Monday’s stabbling of downtown Santa Cruz business owner ‘unprovoked and random’
Mercury News: Suspect in killing of Santa Cruz woman requests public defender, doesn’t enter plea
Photos courtesy of Google Maps & Santa Cruz County Sheriff
