Topline: Officials and victim advocates say the recent cases underscore the heightened risks faced by abuse victims during separation from a partner.
Published: June 19, 2026 3:40 pm ET
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SAN JOSE, CA — Three domestic violence cases in just over a week have left two women dead, another critically injured, and local prosecutors warning about the persistent danger faced by victims attempting to leave abusive relationships.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the cases unfolded over a 10-day period in San Jose and included two homicide investigations and an attempted murder that investigators believe was domestic violence-related.
The most recent criminal charges involve 46-year-old Pablo Aguileramora and 55-year-old Shede Mao, both of whom appeared in Santa Clara County court this week. Prosecutors say both men face life in prison if convicted.
The back-to-back killings marked the third and fourth domestic violence homicides recorded in San Jose this year, according to the district attorney’s office. By comparison, Santa Clara County recorded five domestic violence murders during all of 2025.
“What it tells us is that domestic violence is one of the most lethal forms of violence we face as a community,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rebekah Wise told KTVU.
According to prosecutors, Aguileramora had already been charged earlier this year with stalking his estranged wife before she was killed on June 11.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office alleges Aguileramora repeatedly targeted the woman after their separation. Prosecutors say he showed up at her workplace, slashed her vehicle’s tires, secretly placed three electronic trackers on her car, and sent more than 100 text messages and voicemails. Investigators also allege he attempted to obtain employment at the company where she worked.
Authorities said Aguileramora was arrested on March 18 on stalking-related charges. An Emergency Protection Order was issued and served, according to prosecutors. Evidence cited by the district attorney’s office shows he was released while those charges were pending.
Just before midnight on June 11, San Jose police received a 911 call reporting that a woman living at an apartment complex on Descanso Drive had been stabbed, according to the district attorney’s office and reporting by San Jose Inside.
Officers found the 45-year-old victim suffering from multiple stab wounds and attempted lifesaving measures, prosecutors said. Police also located Aguileramora with what authorities described as a self-inflicted stab wound.
Both were transported to a hospital. Before she died, the victim identified Aguileramora as her attacker, according to prosecutors. Authorities also allege he threatened a witness.
Four days later, police responded to another domestic violence scene.
According to the district attorney’s office, officers arrived at a home on Snell Avenue on June 15 and encountered Mao walking out of the residence. Inside, investigators found his 49-year-old wife dead in what prosecutors described as a blood-spattered room. A machete was recovered near the body.
The investigation began after one of Mao’s friends contacted police and reported receiving a text message stating the suspect’s wife “was all beat up,” along with a photograph showing her bloody body, according to prosecutors.
Mao was arrested at the scene and later charged in the killing.
The two homicides followed another violent domestic violence-related incident earlier that same week.
According to the district attorney’s office, investigators believe a June 8 shooting outside a Kaiser Permanente medical office building in south San Jose was a murder-suicide attempt connected to a domestic relationship. Authorities said a Watsonville man died after the shooting, while a woman was left in critical condition but is expected to survive.
KTVU reported that all three incidents shared a common factor: the victims had either left or were in the process of leaving their partners.
Advocates say separation can be one of the most dangerous periods for victims of domestic abuse.
“It’s oftentimes when the abusive partner realizes they are losing control of their partner,” Adriana Caldera Boroffice, CEO of YWCA San Jose, told KTVU. “Oftentimes, the risk for serious injury or even homicide can greatly increase during those times.”
While overall homicide rates have fallen in many areas, domestic violence deaths have remained stubbornly high nationally, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
“I am heartbroken, but sadness will never stop us from working with victims to get them and their children to safety,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Sadness will never stop us from making sure violent abusers face the strictest justice.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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San Jose Prosecutors Sound Alarm After Domestic Violence Leads to a Stabbing, a Machete Killing, and a Shooting in Span of 10 Days
Officials and victim advocates say the recent cases underscore the heightened risks faced by abuse victims during separation from a partner.
By Jacob Charles
Published: June 19, 2026 3:40 pm ET
SAN JOSE, CA — Three domestic violence cases in just over a week have left two women dead, another critically injured, and local prosecutors warning about the persistent danger faced by victims attempting to leave abusive relationships.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the cases unfolded over a 10-day period in San Jose and included two homicide investigations and an attempted murder that investigators believe was domestic violence-related.
The most recent criminal charges involve 46-year-old Pablo Aguileramora and 55-year-old Shede Mao, both of whom appeared in Santa Clara County court this week. Prosecutors say both men face life in prison if convicted.
The back-to-back killings marked the third and fourth domestic violence homicides recorded in San Jose this year, according to the district attorney’s office. By comparison, Santa Clara County recorded five domestic violence murders during all of 2025.
“What it tells us is that domestic violence is one of the most lethal forms of violence we face as a community,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rebekah Wise told KTVU.
According to prosecutors, Aguileramora had already been charged earlier this year with stalking his estranged wife before she was killed on June 11.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office alleges Aguileramora repeatedly targeted the woman after their separation. Prosecutors say he showed up at her workplace, slashed her vehicle’s tires, secretly placed three electronic trackers on her car, and sent more than 100 text messages and voicemails. Investigators also allege he attempted to obtain employment at the company where she worked.
Authorities said Aguileramora was arrested on March 18 on stalking-related charges. An Emergency Protection Order was issued and served, according to prosecutors. Evidence cited by the district attorney’s office shows he was released while those charges were pending.
Just before midnight on June 11, San Jose police received a 911 call reporting that a woman living at an apartment complex on Descanso Drive had been stabbed, according to the district attorney’s office and reporting by San Jose Inside.
Officers found the 45-year-old victim suffering from multiple stab wounds and attempted lifesaving measures, prosecutors said. Police also located Aguileramora with what authorities described as a self-inflicted stab wound.
Both were transported to a hospital. Before she died, the victim identified Aguileramora as her attacker, according to prosecutors. Authorities also allege he threatened a witness.
Four days later, police responded to another domestic violence scene.
According to the district attorney’s office, officers arrived at a home on Snell Avenue on June 15 and encountered Mao walking out of the residence. Inside, investigators found his 49-year-old wife dead in what prosecutors described as a blood-spattered room. A machete was recovered near the body.
The investigation began after one of Mao’s friends contacted police and reported receiving a text message stating the suspect’s wife “was all beat up,” along with a photograph showing her bloody body, according to prosecutors.
Mao was arrested at the scene and later charged in the killing.
The two homicides followed another violent domestic violence-related incident earlier that same week.
According to the district attorney’s office, investigators believe a June 8 shooting outside a Kaiser Permanente medical office building in south San Jose was a murder-suicide attempt connected to a domestic relationship. Authorities said a Watsonville man died after the shooting, while a woman was left in critical condition but is expected to survive.
KTVU reported that all three incidents shared a common factor: the victims had either left or were in the process of leaving their partners.
Advocates say separation can be one of the most dangerous periods for victims of domestic abuse.
“It’s oftentimes when the abusive partner realizes they are losing control of their partner,” Adriana Caldera Boroffice, CEO of YWCA San Jose, told KTVU. “Oftentimes, the risk for serious injury or even homicide can greatly increase during those times.”
While overall homicide rates have fallen in many areas, domestic violence deaths have remained stubbornly high nationally, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
“I am heartbroken, but sadness will never stop us from working with victims to get them and their children to safety,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Sadness will never stop us from making sure violent abusers face the strictest justice.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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San Jose Prosecutors Sound Alarm After Domestic Violence Leads to a Stabbing, a Machete Killing, and a Shooting in Span of 10 Days
Officials and victim advocates say the recent cases underscore the heightened risks faced by abuse victims during separation from a partner.
By Jacob Charles
Published: June 19, 2026 3:40 pm ET
SAN JOSE, CA — Three domestic violence cases in just over a week have left two women dead, another critically injured, and local prosecutors warning about the persistent danger faced by victims attempting to leave abusive relationships.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the cases unfolded over a 10-day period in San Jose and included two homicide investigations and an attempted murder that investigators believe was domestic violence-related.
The most recent criminal charges involve 46-year-old Pablo Aguileramora and 55-year-old Shede Mao, both of whom appeared in Santa Clara County court this week. Prosecutors say both men face life in prison if convicted.
The back-to-back killings marked the third and fourth domestic violence homicides recorded in San Jose this year, according to the district attorney’s office. By comparison, Santa Clara County recorded five domestic violence murders during all of 2025.
“What it tells us is that domestic violence is one of the most lethal forms of violence we face as a community,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rebekah Wise told KTVU.
According to prosecutors, Aguileramora had already been charged earlier this year with stalking his estranged wife before she was killed on June 11.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office alleges Aguileramora repeatedly targeted the woman after their separation. Prosecutors say he showed up at her workplace, slashed her vehicle’s tires, secretly placed three electronic trackers on her car, and sent more than 100 text messages and voicemails. Investigators also allege he attempted to obtain employment at the company where she worked.
Authorities said Aguileramora was arrested on March 18 on stalking-related charges. An Emergency Protection Order was issued and served, according to prosecutors. Evidence cited by the district attorney’s office shows he was released while those charges were pending.
Just before midnight on June 11, San Jose police received a 911 call reporting that a woman living at an apartment complex on Descanso Drive had been stabbed, according to the district attorney’s office and reporting by San Jose Inside.
Officers found the 45-year-old victim suffering from multiple stab wounds and attempted lifesaving measures, prosecutors said. Police also located Aguileramora with what authorities described as a self-inflicted stab wound.
Both were transported to a hospital. Before she died, the victim identified Aguileramora as her attacker, according to prosecutors. Authorities also allege he threatened a witness.
Four days later, police responded to another domestic violence scene.
According to the district attorney’s office, officers arrived at a home on Snell Avenue on June 15 and encountered Mao walking out of the residence. Inside, investigators found his 49-year-old wife dead in what prosecutors described as a blood-spattered room. A machete was recovered near the body.
The investigation began after one of Mao’s friends contacted police and reported receiving a text message stating the suspect’s wife “was all beat up,” along with a photograph showing her bloody body, according to prosecutors.
Mao was arrested at the scene and later charged in the killing.
The two homicides followed another violent domestic violence-related incident earlier that same week.
According to the district attorney’s office, investigators believe a June 8 shooting outside a Kaiser Permanente medical office building in south San Jose was a murder-suicide attempt connected to a domestic relationship. Authorities said a Watsonville man died after the shooting, while a woman was left in critical condition but is expected to survive.
KTVU reported that all three incidents shared a common factor: the victims had either left or were in the process of leaving their partners.
Advocates say separation can be one of the most dangerous periods for victims of domestic abuse.
“It’s oftentimes when the abusive partner realizes they are losing control of their partner,” Adriana Caldera Boroffice, CEO of YWCA San Jose, told KTVU. “Oftentimes, the risk for serious injury or even homicide can greatly increase during those times.”
While overall homicide rates have fallen in many areas, domestic violence deaths have remained stubbornly high nationally, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
“I am heartbroken, but sadness will never stop us from working with victims to get them and their children to safety,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Sadness will never stop us from making sure violent abusers face the strictest justice.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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