A missing Northern California mother was found dead Sunday near a mountain hiking trail, hours after her partner threatened their 3-year-old daughter with a knife and lunged at a police officer, authorities said.
The body of Lizbeth Arceo Sedano, 25, was discovered about 9:40 a.m. near Eureka Canyon Road and Grizzly Flat Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators responded to the call and determined that the body was that of a 25-year-old mother who had gone missing from Watsonville the previous day.
Sedano’s family reported her missing after her mother’s partner, Joshua Gonzalez, called Watsonville police from outside the police precinct around 9:20 p.m. Saturday and threatened to harm their 3-year-old daughter, police said.
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Sedano’s body was discovered around 9:40 a.m. Sunday near Eureka Canyon Road and Grizzly Flat Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains. (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office)
Responding officers exited their patrol car and ordered Gonzalez to drop the knife, but Gonzalez ignored their commands and lunged at the officers, police said.
The sheriff’s office said the death of 25-year-old Lizbeth Arceo Sedano is being investigated as a suspicious death. (Watsonville Police Department)
Officers then opened fire on Gonzalez, who was injured and taken to a trauma center outside the county in stable condition, police said.
Authorities said Sedano’s partner, Joshua Gonzalez, was taken into custody just hours before Sedano’s body was discovered after he threatened to hurt their 3-year-old daughter with a knife and lunged at officers. (Watsonville Police Department)
The 3-year-old was unharmed and was in the custody of a family member.
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The sheriff’s office said Sedano’s death is “under investigation as suspicious.”
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“The cause and manner will be determined by forensic pathologists and detectives continue to investigate this incident,” the sheriff’s office said.
