Dana Alotaibi murder: Pregnant woman stabbed and killed by marine ex-husband on Hawaiian highway

Police in Hawaii said that a pregnant woman named Dana Alotaibi (27) was fatally stabbed by her Marine ex-husband after an altercation on a highway. The suspect, Bryant Tejada Castillo, 29, was apprehended and now faces criminal proceedings.

Drivers on the H-3 highway allegedly saw Dana Alotaibi being repeatedly stabbed by her ex-husband on Wednesday, according to Honolulu Police.

At a press conference on Thursday, Deena Thoemmes, a homicide lieutenant with the Honolulu Police Department's criminal investigation section, stated that the witnesses "saw a male standing over a girl and stabbing her multiple times."

Alotaibi and Castillo were legally married, according to Thoemmes, but their marriage recently hit choppy waters.

Thoemmes said:

"At the time of the incident, they were arguing before he stabbed her multiple times that caused her fatal injuries."

Witnesses tried to intervene and save Alotaibi, but Castillo ran into the woods. When cops approached him, Castillo stabbed himself with the same knife, which allowed police to capture him. He was taken to a hospital, where he is still being held.

Investigations into the motives behind the crime are ongoing. Thoemmes stated that authorities were interviewing witnesses and that the car would be "processed awaiting a search warrant."

The HPD's domestic violence unit and the Prosecutors' Office is finalizing charges to be drawn up against Castillo. Authorities clarified that documented and undocumented prior alleged domestic violence occurrences involving the victim and the suspect will also be examined along with social media posts.

Alotaibi was transferred to a nearby hospital but was declared deceased shortly after.

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Dana Alotaibi recently divorced Bryant Castillo

One witness at the scene told the media:

"Whenever I got there, I pretty much froze out of fear and shock."

They also said that others tried to perform CPR on the victim but realized it wasn't working.

The witness further said:

"It was just her face, she just looked past the point of no return, you know. Could you imagine being stabbed in the neck and then watching as your life just literally leaks out of you, and everyone around you either doesn't know what to do, or is too shocked to do anything about it, I couldn't imagine that."

According to Alotaibi's mother, the former couple was married for over three years.

Alotaibi often spoke out about their allegedly harsh union on social media. According to court records obtained by the press, the divorce was finalized in June after he filed for divorce in November.

According to Dana Alotaibi's friends, she was 13 weeks pregnant when Castillo tragically stabbed her on the highway.