Janitor arrested in killing of woman at Newport office building; she worked as an escort, police say
Newport Beach detectives arrested a 29-year-old janitor Wednesday on suspicion of killing a young female escort whose body was found in an office building on Campus Drive early Tuesday.
Police identified Nain Issac Nieto Hernandez of Santa Ana as a suspect in the killing and went to Santa Ana Wednesday morning to serve a residential search warrant for Hernandez’s home and a search warrant for his relative’s home.
Hernandez was taken into custody after police pulled over a car in which he was riding on Alton Avenue near Bristol Street in Santa Ana at 11:30 a.m. Detectives arrested him in connection with the death of Sarai Alcaraz, 23, of Long Beach, said police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella.
Police do not have any other suspects in the investigation, authorities confirmed.
The case unfolded just after midnight Tuesday when a woman, whom authorities identified as an associate of Alcaraz, called police to report that she had lost contact with Alcaraz. The woman and a man had been looking for Alcaraz after she stopped responding to their calls and texts earlier that night, police said.
“The callers had searched for the young woman, but were unable to find her,” Manzella said. “She had also stopped responding to text messages or answering her cell phone, which raised concern for her safety.”
Officers searched the Newport Corporate Plaza business complex and shortly after 1:30 a.m. found Alcaraz dead inside the brick-sheathed building at 5030 Campus Drive, according to police officials.
Earlier reports indicated her body was found inside Coast to Coast Copy but officials later said she was found in an area not associated with a tenant.
She had last been seen at the office building an hour or two before police were called. The business complex, between Teller and Von Karman avenues, is in an industrial area and is relatively quiet at night, Manzella said.
Coroner’s officials will conduct an autopsy and toxicology tests to determine how Alcaraz died.
While it is not known why Alcaraz was inside the building, Manzella confirmed that she worked as an escort.
“That could have been why she was there,” she said.
Hernandez worked as a janitor and had access to the building in the course of his usual duties, Manzella said. It is unclear if Hernandez and Alcaraz had met previously.
Hernandez is being interviewed by detectives.
Authorities ask anyone with additional information to call the Newport Beach Police Department’s hotline at 1-800-550-NBPD. Messages may be left anonymously.
