Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
Suspect in custody in death of woman at SoHo hotel: sources
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- A person of interest is in police custody in the brutal killing of a Queens woman at a SoHo hotel, according to law enforcement sources.
NYPD investigators made a connection between the suspect and other incidents in other states, including an attempted murder of a woman in Arizona, sources said.
The NYPD is announcing the arrest at a press conference at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Lower Manhattan. The suspect has not yet been charged.
Last week, the NYPD released a surveillance image of the unidentified man wanted in connection with the death of 38-year-old Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, whose body was found at the SoHo 54 Hotel at 54 Watts St. in Lower Manhattan on Feb. 8, according to police.
The suspect left the hotel wearing the victim's leggings, authorities said.
A hotel employee discovered Oleas-Arancibia’s body in the room, police said. A bloody iron was found near her, according to sources. The medical examiner’s office ruled her death a homicide.
“We have video of [Oleas-Arancibia] arriving at the location wearing a distinct pair of leggings. And later on, we have a male leaving the hotel wearing the same leggings,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said last week.
A pair of men’s pants were left bloodied in the hotel, according to Kenny.
Oleas-Arancibia was a mother of two sons, according to a GoFundMe page created to help her family.
“Denisse’s life was taken away too soon and her boys are struggling with the events surrounding this loss and are in need of any and all support. Let’s help my family send my sister back home to Ecuador. Please help the family in any way possible,” the GoFundMe page said.
This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.