A 55-year-old woman was beheaded in broad daylight Wednesday in Shakopee, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
The victim, Shakopee resident America Mafalda Thayer, was an employee of MyPillow, according to Fox-9 Minneapolis. Alexis Saborit, 42, also of Shakopee, was reportedly in an abusive long-term relationship with her, and he was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, according to the Shakopee Police Department.
Graphic video of the beheading was circulating on social media.
Shakopee PD tweeted a statement Wednesday about the homicide before the suspect was identified:
"On July 28, 2021, at approximately 2:31 p.m., Shakopee Police officers responded to a report of a homicide near the intersection of 4th Avenue and Spencer Street. A suspect is in custody, and there is no threat to public safety. An investigation is ongoing. We do not believe this was a random act of violence. We will release additional information at a later date. Again, there is no threat to public safety."
Saborit was convicted in 2017 of domestic assault in Carver County, according to CBS-4 Minnesota.
Shakopee Police Chief Jeff Tate told ABC-5 he was "incredibly disappointed" that cellphone video of the attack was posted on social media.
The killing comes just days after the Minneapolis City Council voted 11-1 to put a measure on the November election ballot to disband the Minneapolis Police Department in favor of a public safety department.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd last year.