California man charged with beheading, dismembering neighbor at military base, killing friend

Police: SoCal man beheaded neighbor, killed friend

LOS ANGELES — A stage actor shot, beheaded and dismembered his neighbor in a military base theater, then killed the victim’s friend after using the dead man’s cell phone to lure her to his apartment, police said Friday.

Daniel Wozniak, 26, of Costa Mesa, was charged with two counts of murder Friday, the same day he was supposed to get married to fiancee Rachel Buffet in a Long Beach park, said Costa Mesa police Detective Sgt. Ed Everett.

Wozniak’s father, Daryl Wozniak, said his son was in a coma after trying to commit suicide. Everett said the younger Wozniak was being treated at Western Medical Center, though he did not describe his condition.

Daniel Wozniak, who recently starred in the lead role as Guido Contini in the musical “Nine” at the Hunger Artists Theatre Company in Fullerton, is accused of dismembering the body of Samuel Herr, 26, on May 21, leaving his torso at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base and scattering the limbs and head in another Long Beach park.

Daniel Wozniak is also accused of shooting Juri Kibuishi, 23, after summoning her with a text message on Herr’s phone, then removing her clothes to fake a sexual assault. Her body was found May 22 by Herr’s father.

The motive appears to be financial, police said.

Police detained a 17-year-old boy after he withdrew nearly $2,000 from Herr’s bank account, said Costa Mesa police Lt. Bryan Glass. The teen told police he was making the withdrawals for Daniel Wozniak.

Daryl Wozniak said his son had never displayed any signs of violence or of having psychological problems.

“We are stunned,” Daryl Wozniak said. “He was an ideal son, he went out of his way to help everybody.”

The father said his son stopped accepting phone calls from him about six months ago. Daryl Wozniak did not know why and said there had been no falling out.

“He just disappeared,” he said.

Prosecutors have not said if they would seek the death penalty. No arraignment date had been set.

Police said Daniel Wozniak killed Herr in a theater at the military base, then cut off his head, left arm and right hand. The torso was left in a seldom-used part of the theater, while other body parts were taken to a Long Beach park, Glass said. Investigators said Daniel Wozniak told them where to find the torso.

A part-time actor, Daniel Wozniak had performed in several productions at the theater, Everett said, but there were no plays scheduled there on the day of the slaying.

The run of “Nine” ended May 23, the day after Kibuishi’s body was found. Daniel Wozniak’s fiancee, Buffet, starred alongside him in that production. The couple had also performed together in November in a musical at the Orange County Theater Company.

Hunger Artists managing director Anthony Galleran said the theater had no comment on the allegations against Daniel Wozniak.

Herr and Daniel Wozniak were neighbors in an apartment complex in Costa Mesa. Daniel Wozniak lived on the first floor and Herr on the fourth and they had known each other several months, Everett said. They went to the theater at the training base the afternoon of May 21 and Daniel Wozniak may have planned to rob Herr, police said.

An arm and hand were found Friday as FBI agents and police from Costa Mesa and Long Beach used cadaver dogs to search the park, officers said. Everett said the head was the only body part still missing late Friday.

Police initially believed Herr killed the Kibuishi, but suspicion shifted to Daniel Wozniak after collecting evidence and talking to him. He was arrested Wednesday at a Huntington Beach restaurant.

Investigators don’t believe Buffet was involved in the murders, but Everett said more interviews were scheduled.

Herr and Kibuishi were both students at Orange Coast College, Everett said. They did not appear to be more than friends, although they did meet on a social networking site, he said.

Two other people, Noah Buffett, 28, of Long Beach and Daniel Wozniak’s brother, Timothy Wozniak, were arrested for investigation of being accessories after the fact.

Associated Press Writer Thomas Watkins contributed to this report.