Capitola Mall murder suspect says he felt 'desire to kill someone,' court documents say

CAPITOLA, Calif. —

Court documents are shedding grisly details on the murder of a Capitola artist that occurred Monday outside the Capitola Mall.

The suspect, 19-year-old Tyler Leibelt, is alleged to have killed 73-year-old Rachell Summers out of a desire to enact homicidal “fantasies” he had harbored for some time, according to court documents filed by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office seeking to deny him bail.

Capitola police are describing the attack as a random and isolated incident. Court documents from the prosecutor’s office appear to echo that sentiment, saying Leibelt “indicated that he had had homicidal ‘fantasies’ for a while and that he had previously disclosed these fantasies but he ‘kept getting let out’ of custody.”

The court documents go on to elaborate on what led up to the deadly stabbing and what happened afterward.

Leibelt said he had been living in a sober living environment and on Monday took an Uber from his SLE to Cabrillo College, where he is a student majoring in accounting, according to the court documents.

The documents say he went to the cafeteria and felt the “desire to kill someone.”

According to court documents filed by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, the defendant said it was a “done deal” that he was going to kill someone when he turned off his phone.

Detectives asked him to clarify what he meant by “done deal,” and he said he knew he was going to kill someone when he turned off his phone because he did not want to be interrupted.

Leibelt then took a METRO bus from Cabrillo to the Capitola Mall and went to the Big 5 Sporting Goods store, where he purchased two switchblade knives, according to the documents. He said he bought two knives so he could hold one in each hand while he killed someone, and he allegedly made a stabbing gesture with both hands during his interview with law enforcement.

He then walked back toward the mall and told investigators he walked with an elderly Asian man across the street and considered killing him, but there were too many cars around. He added that he was also concerned the man would put up too much of a fight.

“He walked through the mall and considered committing a robbery at Macy’s but had concerns about the metal detectors going off at the store. Finally, he went into the food court and considered killing a family or someone in the food court but was concerned about the crowd. He exited the mall by the food court and saw a man in his vehicle parked, and considered killing him, but he was seated inside of his car,” according to court documents filed by the district attorney’s office.

That is when he spotted Summers crossing the mall driveway on foot, walking toward Trader Joe’s on Clares Street.

According to court documents, Leibelt said he moved closer, walked in a semicircle around Summers with a concealed knife and then allowed her to get ahead so she would not think he was following her. He told investigators he “didn’t want her to see me.”

The documents say the defendant continued along Clares Street, took the knife from his pocket, removed it from its box and chased the victim after giving her some distance so she would not think she was being followed. He said he then ran at full speed and stabbed her in the back.

Summers was stabbed more than 11 times. She suffered wounds to her back, defensive wounds to her forearms and wounds to the center of her chest. The defendant said he could hear her say, “Help me.”

Summers had gone to the mall to pick up her paycheck and was walking to the bank when she was attacked.

A witness stopped his car and yelled at the defendant to stop the attack.

The defendant then ran back into the mall, through the food court and shopping corridors, before tossing the knife into a corner and leaving through another exit.

He later walked to a nearby gas station, bought a drink, and left on foot.

Authorities said he then called 911, admitted to killing a woman, and said he wanted police to come get him so he could turn himself in.

Court documents also reveal troubling details about the defendant’s past.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office sought a gun violence restraining order on Nov. 7, 2025, when the defendant was 18, and Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Nancy De La Peña issued an emergency order that same day.

The sheriff’s office said the defendant “expressed a desire to cause a mass casualty event.” The order also stated that the defendant “wrote a goodbye letter expressing a desire to kill as many people as possible.”

Leibelt has been charged with murder, along with enhancements for using a deadly or dangerous weapon and lying in wait.

Leibelt was arraigned Wednesday in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, where a judge remanded him into custody. His arraignment was continued to July 29.

The Capitola Mall reopened for business Tuesday.

A growing memorial has been set up outside the mall to honor Summers. Summers managed the Art of Santa Cruz gallery inside the mall, which has closed for the rest of the week.

Friends and coworkers remembered Summers as a selfless person who devoted herself to her family and the local art community.

“She gave by putting her energy into the store and into the artists and helping us run the store,” coworker Marilyn Gwynn said. “She didn’t have to do that at 73. She contributed to us, to our organization, and we will miss her.”

https://www.ksbw.com/article/capitola-mall-murder-suspect-court-documents/73235779

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