A Pennsylvania man has been arrested and charged with homicide after allegedly fatally stabbing his girlfriend in a violent attack. According to court documents obtained by PennLive, Benjamin Gual, 49, allegedly stabbed his 50-year-old girlfriend to death because he was upset that she had cut her hair. The victim’s daughter reportedly told police that her mother’s new haircut was the motive behind the attack. She further revealed that Gual had previously threatened to stab her mother over the haircut, prompting Carmen Martinez-Silva to seek temporary refuge at her daughter’s home overnight.
After spending the night at her daughter’s home, Martinez-Silva visited her brother’s residence and simultaneously asked a friend to inform Gual that their relationship was over, according to the probable cause affidavit. Meanwhile, Gual had been searching for her and eventually tracked her down to her brother’s home.
Upon arrival, Gual was initially told by Martinez-Silva’s brother that she wasn’t there. However, when he returned minutes later, he violently attacked the brother with a knife. Martinez-Silva intervened in an attempt to protect her sibling, but Gual turned his aggression towards her, unleashing a frenzied stabbing attack.
Martinez-Silva was found dead at the scene by cops while her brother suffered multiple stab wounds. Two bystanders who attempted to intervene and stop the stabbing spree narrowly escaped being knifed by Gual.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Benjamin Gual still present, sitting in his car with the knife used in the attack still in his hand. The knife had visible blood on it, according to court documents. Gual has been charged with multiple counts, including homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. He is currently being held at the Lancaster County Jail without bail, pending further legal proceedings.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Martinez-Silva’s family to raise funds for her funeral. ”The family is devastated by this loss we would’ve never imagined a tragedy like this would happen to our beloved Carmen. We know this time is hard for a lot of us, but we are please asking it you feel in your heart to donate anything that will help the family to be able to put her to rest as she deserves,” part of the fundraiser reads.
