Investigators say the suspect admitted to the attack, but the motive remains under investigation.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — San Rafael police said Monday they arrested a 31-year-old woman in connection with the stabbing death of a 28-year-old woman found at an encampment on Andersen Drive over the weekend.
Authorities said the arrest came a little more than 24 hours after officers were called to Andersen Drive at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday on a report of a woman who had been stabbed. Officers found the victim with apparent stab wounds, and emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene. By Sunday evening, police had taken Leslieli Violani Ilolahia into custody and booked her into the Marin County Jail on a homicide allegation.
Police said officers arrested Ilolahia shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday, just a few blocks from the original crime scene. Investigators said the case centered on an encampment on Andersen Drive between Lindaro Street and Irwin Street. In public statements Monday, police stressed that the location was separate from San Rafael’s sanctioned camping area on Mahone Path, a distinction officials highlighted as the case quickly drew attention because it involved an area occupied by unhoused people.
Lt. Scott Eberle said in a department release that Ilolahia admitted during an interview with investigators that she stabbed the victim. Police have not released any transcript or additional account of what she allegedly told detectives. Authorities also have not said whether the women knew each other, whether anyone else was present when the stabbing happened, or what events led up to the attack. The victim’s name had not been released Monday, and police said the motive was still under investigation.
Investigators said they also obtained and served a search warrant for Ilolahia’s living area within the same encampment zone on Andersen Drive. Detectives said they believe they found evidence there that further connects her to the killing, though the department did not describe the items recovered. Police likewise did not say whether a knife or any other weapon had been found, and they have not announced whether the Marin County District Attorney’s Office has filed a formal charge beyond the jail booking on suspicion of violating California Penal Code 187, the state’s homicide statute.
The case began Saturday evening, when officers responded to the report of a stabbing in a part of Andersen Drive that police said was occupied by several unhoused individuals. Early public appeals asked anyone who had been in the area around 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and saw suspicious activity to contact investigators. After the arrest, police said the investigation was continuing, signaling that detectives were still working to fill in the timeline, interview witnesses and test evidence collected from the scene and the suspect’s living area.
The department’s public statements have combined brief factual updates with repeated acknowledgment that key details remain unsettled. Police offered condolences to the dead woman’s family, friends and loved ones, but released little else about her. Officials have not said where she was from, whether relatives have been notified, or when the Marin County coroner may identify her publicly. They also have not said whether surveillance video, witness accounts or forensic evidence played a role in leading detectives to Ilolahia within about a day of the killing.
As of Monday, Ilolahia was in custody in Marin County and the homicide investigation remained active. The next major step is expected to be a prosecutor’s filing decision and any initial court appearance, while police continue seeking witnesses and additional evidence from the Andersen Drive area.
Author note: Last updated March 16, 2026.