Cops are hunting for a man they say bludgeoned a woman to death in a Manhattan hotel room, then wore her leggings out of the hotel because his pants were too bloody from the murder.
Denisse Oleas-Arancibia was discovered on Feb. 8 by a housekeeper at SoHo 54 Hotel on Watts Street, with plastic fragments found embedded in her head — an indication of the violence she endured, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Prior to Oleas-Arancibia's body being found, police said a woman called asking for a wellness check — one of a series of checks that were made by the hotel's front desk. On one occasion, despite a "do not disturb" sign on the door, a hotel employee entered the room and saw the 38-year-old Oleas-Arancibia lying covered with a blanket.
Unfortunately, the employee assumed she was asleep and did not suspect foul play.
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Police were alerted to the disappearance when her son filed a missing persons report in Queens, where she lived. After an investigation, hotel staff made the grim discovery in the 11th-floor room around 10:30 a.m. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary evidence indicated the death may have been a homicide and a fight may have taken place. Police sources said an iron covered in blood was found near the woman and she had injuries to her head and all over her body.
But police said they have one thing that could help lead them to a suspect: his pants.
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"We have video of the woman, arriving at the location, wearing a distinct pair of leggings. And later on, we have a male, leaving the hotel, wearing the same leggings. And we also have a pair of male pants in the hotel room," Kenny said.
The chief also revealed that investigators have been able to track the suspect's movements through the victim's credit card and MetroCard, which the suspect allegedly stole and has been using.
Oleas-Arancibia periodically stayed at the hotel, though she lived in Queens. It's believed she may have been an escort. Her son told investigators she worked in Manhattan for an unknown man.
An investigation is ongoing.
