Murder suspect in custody: Man who allegedly stabbed girlfriend to death Saturday arrested in Redwood City

Monday night, San Mateo police detectives spotted the suspect on a surveillance detail. At about 6 p.m., police closed streets, evacuated residents and issued a shelter in place order near the Massachusetts Avenue home where his mother Tracy Kirincic resides.

Her son was taken into custody at about 7:45 p.m. Monday night. It is unclear whether shots were fired at the scene as there were reports of a loud bang in the area while police were trying to apprehend Kirincic.

Kirincic’s father allegedly tried to enter the home at 2797 Massachusetts Ave. but was detained at the scene by police.

Police were also ready to send a robot into the house just prior to Kirincic’s arrest.

Details have emerged about the strained relationship that left the San Mateo woman dead after her estranged boyfriend allegedly murdered her over the weekend — just days after he was released from jail for attacking her months earlier.

Police worked around the clock to find Kirincic, who was wanted for the murder of Straw.

Straw, 34, died from multiple stab wounds shortly after calling police to her home at 1509 S. B St. Saturday afternoon.

Court records and neighbors recall a troubled past between the victim and Kirincic. Straw had an active restraining order against Kirincic as well as another man at the time of her murder, according to police and court records.

Kirincic recently pleaded no contest to felony domestic violence and served 60 days for an attack during which he attempted to suffocate Straw with a pillow Sept. 26, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Monday.

Kirincic was released from jail shortly before the murder and was ordered to have no contact with the victim. He also failed to appear in court on a separate misdemeanor charge for attacking another man while in custody Oct. 27.

In that case, Kirincic allegedly beat and kicked Graham Reis while the two were in jail. Kirincic was reportedly upset with Reis, who introduced him to Straw. The deceased also had an active restraining order against Reis that she filed in May, according to court records.

Kirincic was a constant presence at his girlfriend’s house until being arrested for allegedly beating her so badly she needed to be hospitalized, neighbors of Straw said.

Kirincic lived with Straw at her B Street home and the two had a volatile relationship, said neighbor Yo Yoshida.

Straw kicked him out of the house multiple times, Yoshida said Monday.

The yelling and screaming got so bad that Kirincic would actually apologize to neighbors for his behavior, he said.

Yoshida even exchanged words with Kirincic, who has a long criminal history for mostly drug offenses.

Police were called to the couple’s home Aug. 31 after the duo had been heard yelling. The couple was allegedly cited for possessing drug paraphernalia, Wagstaffe said.

By the time he was arrested Sept. 26, Straw related another incident where he allegedly attacked her in July. Police originally sought an attempted murder charge but further investigation led Wagstaffe to charge him with two felonies. Based on his plea deal, Kirincic was ordered to 120 days — only 60 of which he had to serve based on new realignment rules — and three years probation, Wagstaffe said.

Kirincic had vanished for a while, Yoshida said, until showing up just before Thanksgiving. The last time Yoshida saw the murder suspect, he was standing in the street staring at Straw’s home. Yoshida and his family were not home Saturday when Straw was killed.

“There was a lot of trouble going on in that house,” Yoshida said. “We always heard lots of yelling.”

The operator of A+ Immersion Preschool next door also called the police to report violence or abuse was taking place at Straw’s home.

Yoshida also said that there were other men that lived in the home with Straw that were also troublesome.

Kirincic’s unoccupied car was found Saturday in a parking garage near the Sutter Health San Carlos Urgent Care Center at 301 Industrial Road. Police and a SWAT team evacuated the clinic, conducted a room-to-room search but the suspect wasn’t located, according to police.

Originally from San Carlos, Kirincic’s family was reportedly cooperating before Monday night’s arrest, according to Decker and Wagstaffe.

“We’ve gotten great assistance from the public and from some of his associates,” Decker said.

Decker said arresting Kirincic was the department’s highest priority since Saturday.

“Every detective, every member of our two street crimes units have been working on it through the weekend. There’s been someone working on this 24 hours a day,” Decker said a few hours before the suspect’s arrest.