California

San Mateo Homicide Victim's Mother Grieves with Suspect's Family

The man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death is behind bars but the victim’s mother on Tuesday expressed solidarity with the suspect’s parents.

Anthony Kirincic, 22, was arrested Monday from his parents’ Redwood City home after an hours-long standoff with police. He allegedly killed 34-year-old Colleen Straw in her San Mateo home Saturday and then spent two days on the run.

Colleen Straw's mother Ann Straw has issued a statement saying: “While our hearts are broken at the loss of our beautiful daughter Colleen, we cannot help but feel sorrow for his parents. As we must suffer the loss of our daughter, they must suffer the loss of a son.”

Friends described Colleen Straw a kind person and talented artist who loved Rocky, her Chihuahua. She attended Saint Simon Parish School in Los Altos and Saint Francis High School in Mountain View.

Kirincic has been charged with murder and is being held on $5 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

But last week wasn’t the first time he was violent with Straw.

Police arrested Kirincic on Sept. 26 after he hit Straw in the face, threatened her and tried to smother her with a pillow. The suspect pleaded guilty to domestic violence — a felony assault charge was dropped — and was ordered to spend 120 days in jail and stay away from Straw.

Kirincic only spent 60 days in custody about which San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said: “California law says you only need to do half of your sentence so that’s what he did.”

While he was behind bars, though, Kirincic allegedly beat up an inmate.

Upon getting out of jail, Kirincic was once again arrested — this time on a battery charge involving the inmate. He was let go after posting $10,000 bail and was due back in court Monday but was being hunted as a murder suspect by then.

Meanwhile, Kathleen Krenek, the executive director of San Jose-based Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, said her office has seen an uptick in calls from victims since Straw’s murder. She hopes courts, prosecutors and police will examine the woman’s death and come up with ways to prevent another similar tragedy.

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