A deadly break-in in San Francisco is prompting renewed questions about how the state handles repeat offenders, as a man with a lengthy arrest history now faces special-circumstance murder charges.
According to Fox News, Cassidy Wyatt Allen, 45, appeared in court on Wednesday to answer to accusations that he killed 38-year-old Jessica Alejandra Sanchez Landaverde during a home invasion.
Prosecutors charged him with special-circumstance murder and first-degree burglary, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the severity of the allegations could bring the harshest possible penalty under state law.
“Our hearts break for this family,” Jenkins told KTVU. “It does not appear they had any connection to one another, and so, yes again, this is one of the sadly, most scariest types of crimes that we can imagine, happening.”
The incident unfolded on Nov. 23, when officers responded to a call from a tenant who returned to the Granada Avenue home and heard someone rush to lock the front door.
“Terrified and alarmed, she ran back to her vehicle and called 911,” the district attorney’s office said.
Police arrived to find a window slightly open, blinds bent, and the front door undamaged. When officers entered, they found Sanchez Landaverde lying on her back near the foot of a bed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A few hours later, officers conducting a welfare check near 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard encountered a man matching the description of a person of interest.
Police detained him, identified him as Allen, and determined they had probable cause to arrest him. He was booked into the county jail on suspicion of murder and burglary and is being held without bail.
Allen’s next court date is set for Dec. 17.
Court records reviewed by The California Post show Allen has been arrested numerous times over the years, with previous cases involving second-degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, battery, injury to an elder or dependent adult, and possession of burglary tools and drug paraphernalia.
He also drew police attention in Del Norte County in 2022. Capt. Kyle Stevens of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that Allen was arrested after “using offensive or provocative words in public that are likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.”
“He was basically challenging people to a fight,” Stevens said.
Allen was released the same day and never returned for court, a sign prosecutors declined to pursue the case.
One earlier arrest placed him in California’s mental health diversion program, which reroutes eligible defendants into treatment. The statute requires a judge to determine whether a disorder contributed to the crime and whether the defendant poses an “unreasonable risk” to the public.
Critics argue the system has broadened beyond its intent. Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper has warned the diversion law is being used by chronic offenders.
“There’s room for diversion somewhere, especially someone that has an addiction problem,” Cooper previously told Fox News Digital. “But what’s happened is they open the gates wide. So right now everyone’s taking advantage of it.”
Allen’s current charges are not eligible for diversion. Still, his earlier placement in the program — despite repeated arrests — is expected to fuel debate over how the courts measure threats to public safety.
Neighbors said the killing rattled an area they consider peaceful.
“I am saddened by it because I think our city is generally going in the right direction,” resident Rose Galloway said. “Incidents like this are going to happen in a big city every once in a while.”
“I have seen this neighborhood change for the better over the years,” another neighbor, Garrett Naro, told KTVU. “Crime is not something we think about. It’s very safe.”
The case is now under the San Francisco DA’s Homicide Unit. Investigators are still gathering evidence and encourage anyone with information to contact the San Francisco Police Department tip line at 1-415-575-4444.
