A man fatally wounded a friend who was upset about her haircut: the police

A 49-year-old man has been charged with homicide in the fatal stabbing of a Lancaster County woman.

On Sunday, Benjamin Garcia Gual fatally stabbed Carmen Martinez-Silva and her brother and tried to stab two other people with a kitchen knife but missed, police court documents said.

He is also charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.

Police were called to the 2900 block of Dell Lane in East Hempfield Township around 1:40 p.m.. where they found Carmen Martinez-Silva dead in the front yard. The coroner’s office ruled the death a homicide due to stab wounds to the body. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:41 p.m

According to the probable cause affidavit, Carmen Martinez-Silva’s daughter, Yamaris Knight, told police that Gual hit her mother because he was upset that she had cut her hair.

Knight said her mother told her Gual threatened to stab her because of her haircut, the affidavit said. Martinez-Silva spent the night at her daughter’s house because she was scared of Gual and his threats, the daughter told police.

Carmen Martinez-Silva left her daughter’s house around 8:21 a.m. and went to her brother Luis Martinez-Silva’s house on Dell Lane.

Police said the witness, Hector Burgos, said Carmen Martinez-Silva contacted him and told him to go to her home at 2696 Scenic Drive to tell Gual that their relationship was over and to tell him to pick up his belongings from their home But according to the affidavit, Burgos said he couldn’t find Gual in the mobile home.

Instead, Gual went to Carmen Martinez-Silva’s brother’s house on Dell Lane. The brother initially told him that Carmen Martinez-Silva was gone, even though she was home to try to protect her, police said. Gual left but returned minutes later and punched Luis Martinez-Silva, who answered the door, according to court records.

Luis Martinez-Silva suffered stab wounds to the base of his head, chest and abdomen, as well as lacerations to his arm, according to the affidavit. He was taken to Lancaster General Hospital and is expected to survive.

Burgos told police that Carmen Martinez-Silva tried to pull Gual away from her brother, but then Gual began stabbing her. Burgos said Gual swung the knife in his direction but missed, the affidavit said.

Another person at the scene, Adrian Valentine, told police he was ordered to grab a gun when he arrived to help, but Gual swung a knife at him and missed.

Gual was taken to Lancaster General Hospital with lacerations.

Someone called 911 to report the stabbing and said the suspect was still at the scene “with a knife in his hand.” When officers arrived, they found Gall in a Toyota Corolla with a knife on the passenger seat with brown and red stains on it, according to court records.

Court documents show Gall is being held without bond in the Lancaster County Jail.