A 21-year-old California man was arrested on suspicion of murdering his mother after she was found with multiple stab wounds inside her Glendale home, police said. The victim was identified as 55-year-old Yana Landau, who was discovered on Monday, 9 November, after a caller reported finding blood inside a house in the 500 block of Justin Avenue at around 6 pm.

Officers searched the property and found the woman dead. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner recorded her death as occurring at a residence that day.

Sebastian Landau Arrested Near Mother's Home

Officers searching the surrounding neighbourhood found the woman's son, Sebastian Landau, seated inside a parked vehicle nearby. Police detained the 21-year-old and subsequently identified him as the sole suspect in their investigation. Sebastian was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of murder at Glendale Police Jail.

Detectives recovered a weapon they believe was used in the stabbing. Authorities have not publicly identified the weapon or explained what forensic evidence has been obtained from it. Sebastian was being held on $2 million (£1.5 million) bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department jail records.

Yana Landau's Career in Skincare

Yana was an aesthetician who ran a skincare studio in the Los Angeles area, according to the New York Post. A professional directory lists Yana Landau Studio in Burbank and describes her experience in chemical peels, eyelash extensions and waxing.

The victim was said to have graduated from the Aveda Institute in New York before working in salons in New York City and Miami. Her professional profile also records specialist training in Montreal, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. These courses included skin biology, advanced chemical peels and other beauty treatments. Reports described her as having worked in the beauty industry for more than 25 years.

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Police Investigation and Family Violence Risks

Investigators have not announced a possible motive or described what happened inside the home before Yana's death. They have not said whether anyone witnessed the attack or identified the person who called the emergency services.

No public account of a dispute or other preceding events has been confirmed by law enforcement. The case involves an alleged killing within a family, a category tracked in national homicide research.

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published in October found that, among female homicide victims in 2023 whose relationship to the suspect was known, 8.2% were the suspect's parent. The report also found that 48.1% of female homicide victims were killed in their own homes.

However, those figures do not establish what caused the Glendale killing. The CDC said the victim-suspect relationship was known in 59.6% of the female homicide cases it reviewed, a limitation when interpreting the findings.

The research provides broader national context but cannot establish the circumstances of an individual case. Glendale police said the investigation remains open and appealed for information from the public.

Anyone who witnessed relevant activity near Justin Avenue or has information about the case can contact detectives on 818-548-4840. As of Wednesday, 11 November, police had not announced a motive or released further details about the circumstances of the stabbing.

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