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Suspect Venko Gospodinov is in custody. 

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Police Department arrested a man suspected of murdering a woman on Sunday. 

Police said they were called to the 900 block of Wainwright Drive at 2:49 a.m. on the report of a suspicious circumstance. The caller was the victim’s adult son, according to police. The caller said he had found his mother dead. Officers arrived at the scene and said the victim was in fact dead and showed signs of trauma. 

Homicide detectives quickly identified Venko Gospodinov, 60, of San Jose, as the primary suspect. Using license plate reader technology, detectives discovered that the suspect may have been in the Capitola area. Local authorities were notified of Gospodinov’s whereabouts. 

The California Highway Patrol located the suspect in Capitola and took him into custody without incident. The suspect was transferred into SJPD’s custody. He was booked for murder into the Santa Clara County Main Jail. 

Police said the motive and circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation. 

The identity of the victim will be released by the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner. 

Police said this marks the 22nd homicide of 2025. 

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