A week after an Oceanside middle school teacher was stabbed to death in his yard after an early morning walk, police on Friday announced the arrest of a woman they said was linked to the incident by forensics.

Jennifer Ramos, 22, was arrested at her home, and detectives believe she is the only person involved in the slaying of Chad Danielson, Oceanside police spokesman Tom Bussey said.

Danielson did not know Ramos, Bussey said. Police did not reveal a suspected motive in the death of the 45-year-old Jefferson Middle School physical education teacher, who friends and colleagues remembered as a family man and “incredible” teacher.

Even though witnesses initially told police they saw a large Latino man with long dark hair flee the stabbing scene, Bussey said Ramos matches the description witnesses had given police.


Shortly before 8 a.m. April 10, Oceanside police were called to Danielson’s home on Garfield Avenue, west of Interstate 5, responding to a report of a fight.

There, they found Danielson, gravely injured. He had been stabbed. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Danielson’s family said he had taken their dog for a walk that morning, and was attacked in his yard shortly after he returned home. Witnesses saw the assailant run off.

On Thursday, Bussey said, the regional crime lab notified detectives that evidence collected from the incident came back as a match to Ramos. He did not specify what the evidence was.


Police said Oceanside Unified School District Superintendent Julie Vitale described Chad Danielson as “an incredible teacher... who worked hard to develop meaningful relationships with his students.”

A GoFundMe account to assist Danielson’s family — he left behind a wife, daughter and son — had raised nearly $50,000 as of Friday.