Domestic dispute in Southern California ends in deadly Samurai sword attack

One woman was killed, and two others were hospitalized after what appears to be a domestic dispute that prompted an attack with a Samurai-style sword Thursday afternoon in San Dimas.

Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were called to the intersection of South Huntington Avenue and Basset Court just before 3:30 p.m. on reports of a rescue needed.

In video footage obtained by KTLA, a lone woman with blood on her right leg and hands was seen holding the sword near a parked U-Haul box truck in the 300 block of South Huntington Avenue as authorities arrived on the scene.

As deputies approached, the woman waved them down.

It appeared as if she wanted to show them the sword but immediately laid the weapon down and raised her hands when ordered to do so by deputies.

“That female then directs them to a residence on the street where the deputies find an additional female also suffering from lacerations, who was later pronounced dead at the scene,” LASD Lt. Daniel Vizcarra said at a news conference. “As they continued through the residence, an additional female was found in the residence unharmed, who was also transferred to a local hospital due to a medical emergency.”

According to reporting by KTLA’s Rick Chambers, the emergency may have been a heart attack.

As far as what sparked the deadly violence between at least two of the women, authorities say it is unknown at this time because they only speak Mandarin Chinese, which has slowed the investigation down.

“The preliminary investigation suggests that there may be a family connection, but again, because of the language barrier, we have not confirmed that,” Lt. Vizcarra said.

Aerial footage from Sky5 showed the area on South Huntington Avenue where the U-Haul truck was parked and the Samurai sword was in the street cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape.

KTLA learned that interpreters have been sent to the scene and the hospital to help investigators learn more about what exactly happened.

Detectives said there is no further threat to the community.

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