VISTA, Calif. -- A man accused of stabbing a woman to death outside an Oceanside toy store has a lengthy criminal past, 10News' Juliette Vara reported.

In documents obtained by 10News, Eric Andreason violated parole and was sent back to prison in January.

Andreason was released two weeks ago, but now he is back in jail and accused of killing a Northern California woman.

Katherine Parker was a wife and mother who authorities said was stabbed by Andreason for no apparent reason.

The random attack left witnesses in the Oceanside shopping center where it occurred horrified.

"I was wondering if she would bleed to death," said one witness.

Parker, 54, died at the hospital from her injuries. She was in town with her husband visiting from the Northern California city of Lincoln.

Police said Andreason was panhandling nearby and killed Parker with a kitchen knife as she left a Hallmark store on the 2400 block of Vista Way.

Andreason faces murder charges but has been convicted of felony burglary, robbery grand theft and assault on a peace officer.

"The system is broken," said Frank Courser, an expert on California's "three strikes" law.

Courser said given Andreason's past, he qualified but prosecutors might have struck a deal instead.

"All we're doing is perpetrating the same broken system," said Courser.

Once convicted criminal are set free they lack the skills to adjust to society, adding more stress, said Courser.

"We give them $200 and send them on their way. They haven't been treated at all and there is no rehabilitation," said Courser.

Andreason is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday