A man accused of killing a woman he was dating in front of her children in Stockton and then throwing her body in a trash can made his first court appearance on Tuesday.
Daniel Winkler, 36, has been charged with a count of murder in connection with the homicide of 37-year-old Angenai Terlouw, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney.
Terlouw’s body was found “wrapped up” in a garbage can in the 9000 block of Don Boriga Way about 9:45 a.m. Sunday, the Stockton Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Investigators later determined the woman had been fatally stabbed in front of her children at a home in the 700 block of Erma Avenue, about a half-mile away from where her body was discovered, according to authorities.
“I’ve never had a loved-one murdered. And I certainly haven’t had one murdered in front of my child or my nephew or my niece of whatever that is,” San Joaquin County Supervising District Attorney Robert Himelblau told KTLA sister station KTXL in Sacramento. “I’ve dealt with this a lot, and I’ll never be able to explain what they go through.”
Terlouw’s family has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for her two children, a 5-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl.
The children “have lost both parents and will need long term counseling to cope with trauma they have witnessed and will endure,” the page stated.
The DA’s office has uncovered evidence of past domestic violence between the suspect and victim, who were in a dating relationship, according to Himelblau. He said more charges are possible in the case.
“I think most people want to know why. No matter how nonsensical a murder happens or a crime happens, they want an answer. We try to provide answers,” Himelblau said. “I’ve stood before many a jury and said, ‘I can’t tell you why this happened. I can just tell you it did.’ And unfortunately, especially with murder, the answer’s never satisfactory.”
Winkler also has a prior “strike” conviction, as well as two previous prison convictions, according to the DA’s office.
He is being held without bail.