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Carmen Martinez-Silva, 50, was found dead in the yard of her home in the 2900 block of Dell Lane in East Hempfield Township at 1:40 p.m., according to the coroner's release and as Daily Voice reported at the time.
"EMS transported two individuals to Lancaster General Hospital for lacerations. A third victim succumbed to their injuries on scene," the East Hempfield Township police wrote in a release shortly before 6 p.m. the day of the stabbing.
Martinez-Silva's cause of death was "stab wounds to the body" and the manner was "Homicide," the coroner wrote in the release.
The Suspect:
The suspect has been identified as one of the two people taken to the hospital, according to the police, he was later identified as her boyfriend, 50-year-old Benjamin Garcia Gual.
He has been charged with multiple crimes including homicide, attempted homicide, and aggravated assault after police found him sitting in his Toyota Corolla with a silver kitchen knife, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice.
Garcia Gual stabbed his girlfriend multiple times “throughout her body” with a kitchen knife after a "bad haircut," as stated in the affidavit of probable cause.
How it began:
Carmen's daughter, Yamaris "stated that Carmen cut her hair, which angered Benjamin,” as written by police in the affidavit. “Carmen relayed to Yamaris that Benjamin told her that he was going to stab her over her haircut.”
Martinez-Silva then left her daughter’s house at around 8:21 a.m. and went to see her brother, Luis Martinez-Silva, to ask if he could “tell Benjamin that their relationship was over” and to “get his stuff” out of their mobile home.
The Second Victim:
“Benjamin came to [their home] looking for Carmen and he explained to Benjamin that Carmen was not present, attempting to protect Carmen, although she was inside the trailer,” as stated in the affidavit. “[A witness] then explained to officers that Benjamin left but minutes later came back to the scene. Luis came to the front door, at which time Benjamin started stabbing Luis.”
Gual “utilized a kitchen knife” to stab Luis Martinez-Silva and then Carmen Martinez-Silva “multiple times throughout her body," police wrote.
Luis suffered severe injuries to his head, chest, abdomen, and arm, according to police.
Carmen Martinez-Silva “attempted to pull Benjamin away from Luis, which is when Benjamin started stabbing Carmen in a backward motion,” according to the affidavit. Gual then “swung the knife” toward the witness, who explained to the police "that he went to the scene attempting to help the victim when Benjamin swung the knife toward [his] face but missed."
“Police ordered him [Gual] out of the vehicle and located a silver kitchen knife with a black handle on the passenger seat of the vehicle with brownish red staining,” the affidavit states.
He has been held at the Lancaster County Prison without bail per state law on the charges.
The Family Reacts:
“My beautiful mother is no longer with us,” Yarmais wrote on Facebook. “I’m sorry to those I haven’t responded to, I have no words at this time.”
Martinez-Silva's family is devastated after the "unimaginable tragedy," as stated on the GoFundMe launched to help cover the funeral costs.
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