A dream road trip and chilling police stop - then Nikki Alcaraz vanished: A new disappearance with echoes of Gabby Petito
Nikki Alcaraz vanished without trace while on a roadtrip from her home in Tennessee to California with her boyfriend Tyler Stratton. Ms Alcaraz, 33, was initally thought to have been last seen in the New Mexico town of Moriarty on 6 May. Officials have seen indicated that she was spotted again at a California Walmart on 27 May. Authorities and her desperate family are appealing for information about her whereabouts. The missing person case has drawn comparisons to the Gabby Petito investigation after sheriff’s deputies in Torrance County pulled the couple over after receiving reports that Mr Stratton had assaulted Ms Alcaraz. The officers let them go without pressing criminal charges after Mr Stratton claimed he had also been hit. Here’s what we know about the case. The trip Nikki Alcaraz, a mother of two also known as Nikki Hernandez, left her home in Cheatham County, Tennessee, in her 2013 Jeep Wrangler with Tennessee plates in late April bound for Orange County, to visit family. Ms Alcaraz was travelling with her boyfriend Mr Stratton and a pet dog. On 4 May, sheriff’s deputies in Torrance County, New Mexico, pulled the couple over after receiving a report that he had struck Ms Alcaraz. Mr Stratton told authorities that he had also been hit, and both declined to press charges. Authorities have since released photos showing Ms Alcaraz with a black eye, cuts on her face and severe bruising on her arms after the alleged assault. “He beat her up pretty badly,” her brother Josh Alcaraz told Fox5. “A truck driver had to pull him off of her, call the police, the police picked him up, took him a couple exits down and dropped him off. She was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, and a broken hand or wrist.” Ms Alcaraz was taken to a Super 8 motel in the town of Moriarty. A friend travelled from California and stayed with her overnight at the motel. The plan was for the friend to take her back to California. On 6 May, Ms Alcaraz left the motel and told the friend she was going to try to find her boyfriend. Her family said this was the last time she has been seen alive. Her sister Toni Alcaraz told WKRN that she received a text on 8 May saying she was in Arizona, and planned to continue the trip to California. She hasn’t heard anything since then. Toni Alcaraz told the news site it was highly unusual not to hear from her for an extended period. Ms Alcaraz’s licence plate was picked up near Flagstaff, Arizona, on 9 May. Her phone has reportedly been switched off. This week, a Cheatham County deputy told News 2 that Ms Alcaraz was seen at a Walmart in Redding, California, on 27 May. A photo released by the county District Attorney General Ray crouch shows her selling her phone at an ecoATM. No other information was provided and authorities are still seeking the public’s help in finding her. Missing person investigation Toni Alcaraz said she filed a missing persons report in New Mexico as that was where she was last seen. Josh Alcaraz said he feared that his sister’s vehicle might have broken down in the desert or come off the road. "We would like everybody to keep their eyes open, and if you see the Jeep, if you see him, if you see her, call somebody. Call the police," he told Fox5. Officials in Cheatham County, Tennessee, are working with law enforcement agencies in New Mexico and California to try to locate Ms Alcaraz. “Due to a history of domestic assault we believe she is in danger,” the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post appealing for information. Mr Crouch, the county DA General, told WKRN his office had requested a nationwide extradition for Mr Stratton, who is also missing. Mr Stratton is wanted on an unrelated arrest warrant for theft and begged for the public’s assistance. Family say they are holding onto the hope of finding Ms Alcaraz alive. “If you see the Jeep, if you see him, if you see her, call somebody,” Josh Alcaraz told Fox5. “Obviously, worst-case scenario is very present in the back of my mind. I’m trying to hold out hope.” Ms Alcaraz, who is also known as Nikki Cunningham, is 5’6” with brown eyes and black/brown hair. She also has several distinctive tattoos. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call police in Moriarty on 505-832-6060 or 505-834-2705. Mr Stratton’s family have reportedly not filed a missing person report, according to online reports. Gabby Petito comparisons The allegations of assault on a cross-country road trip have been drawing comparisons to the 2021 disappearance and murder of vlogger Gabby Petito. Petito set off from her home in New York in July that year with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie. The couple was pulled over in Utah by officers from the Moab Police Department on 12 August after receiving reports that Laundrie had struck Petito. They were allowed to continue separately after Laundrie claimed he had been hit by Petito. After a nationwide search and international media attention, Petito’s remains were found in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in September. Laundrie later shot himself in the head and left a suicide note confessing to killing Petito. Petito’s family is suing the Moab Police Department for failing to follow the law and protect her during the traffic stop. An independent review of the domestic assault incident found the officers had made several mistakes, and should have been classified as a domestic assault. Petito’s family are also suing Laundrie’s parents Chris and Roberta for emotional distress. Read More Search for missing woman who vanished on cross-country roadtrip with her boyfriend sparks Gabby Petito comparisons Bombshell letter where Brian Laundrie’s mother vowed to ‘dispose of body’ is given to Gabby Petito’s parents Louisiana high school graduate who fell off boat in Bahamas is lost at sea as Coast Guard calls off search
2023-05-30 22:17
The Invisible Climate Impact of a Cruise Ship
Cruise operators are replacing oil-based fuel with liquefied natural gas to run their ships and pitching the shift
2023-07-31 21:52
Rami Malek and Emma Corrin spotted kissing in public, onlookers say they look 'blissfully happy'
Rami Malek and Emma Corrin are rumored to be dating after the 'Oppenheimer' actor's split from Lucy Boynton earlier this year
2023-09-22 09:21
Kyiv says breaks Russian lines and kills 'senior' naval officers
Ukraine has reported breaking through Russian defence lines in the south as its army said Saturday that senior Russian navy commanders were among dozens killed or wounded in a missile attack on...
2023-09-23 23:17
Amy Duggar claims her cousin Jana Duggar is under Jim Bob and Michelle's 'control': 'I have no contact with her'
Amy Duggar and other family members have spoken out about their upbringing in the Prime Video documentary
2023-07-01 15:56
White neighbour who fatally shot Black mother in row over children playing pleads not guilty to manslaughter
Susan Lorincz, the white woman accused of fatally shooting her Black neighbour, Ajike “AJ” Owens through the front door of her house, pled not guilty to a manslaughter charge on Tuesday. Last month Ms Lorincz, 58, was charged with manslaughter and assault in Marion County, Florida after shooting Ms Owens, 35, through her front door when Ms Owens knocked on Ms Lorincz’s door. Ms Owens, a mother to four, was trying to confront Ms Lorincz for allegedly calling her children racial slurs, taking their iPad and then throwing skates at her son when Ms Lorincz fired her gun. Authorities said Ms Lorincz and Ms Owens had a longstanding feud regarding Ms Owen’s children playing in an area next to Ms Lorincz’s home. On 2 June, Ms Owens went over to Ms Lorincz’s home to speak with her about the incident involving skate-throwing. Ms Lorincz then fired a bullet from within her home which went through the locked door and struck Ms Owens. The shooting occurred in front of her nine-year-old child. First responders’ attempted to keep Ms Owens alive and rushed her to a nearby hospital, but she did not survive her injuries. More follows Read More A Black mother confronted a neighbour for scolding her son. Then she was shot dead Body camera footage sheds new light on ‘racist’ who shot Black mother of four White woman charged after shooting through her door and killing Black mother in front of her son
2023-07-11 23:54
Biden is 'old,' Trump is 'corrupt': AP-NORC poll has ominous signs for both in possible 2024 rematch
Old
2023-08-28 18:59
Bidens offer 'joy' at White House Pride event as LGBTQ attacks mount
By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday hosted the largest Pride celebration in White House
2023-06-11 04:21
OpenAI appoints new boss as Sam Altman joins Microsoft in Silicon Valley twist
By Jeffrey Dastin, Anna Tong and Stephanie Kelly SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -OpenAI named ex-Twitch boss Emmett Shear as interim CEO,
2023-11-21 00:54
Was Lizzo's statement 'hypocritical'? Dancers say singer's response to their sexual harassment lawsuit 'felt like a punch'
The dancers said that Lizzo's response was contradicting everything she and her brand stood for
2023-08-06 20:48
Why did Logan Paul 'walk out' of 'Oppenheimer'? WWE superstar shares experience of watching Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film
Logan Paul was apparently not impressed with the slow pacing of 'Oppenheimer'
2023-08-21 16:51
Beijing sizzles under nearly all-time-high temperatures as authorities ask people to stay indoors
Beijing and parts of northern China are experiencing record temperatures, with authorities urging people to limit their time outdoors
2023-06-24 19:47
You Might Like...
Parents charged after 7 kids found living in home with rats in cages and padlocked refrigerator, police say
10 Brilliant Facts About Braille
How tall is Chris Hemsworth? Actor lied about his height to get roles
Western allies fine-tune security assurances for Ukraine as NATO meets
El Salvador's leader, criticized internationally for gang crackdown, tells UN it was the right thing
Uganda paternity testing causes huge controversy
Global Shipping’s $3.6 Billion Carbon Bill Is Six Weeks Away
VoiD triumphs as 'World's Greatest Gamer' in Ludwig's epic event, fans dub him 'GOAT'
