Police say the suspect was taken into custody four days after the victim’s body was discovered near Cleveland Street.
HOLLYWOOD, FL — A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of a woman found on Hollywood Beach the morning after Christmas, police said Monday. The victim, identified as Heather Asendorf, 56, was discovered shortly after 7 a.m. Dec. 26 on the sand near Cleveland Street and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hollywood police said the case is being investigated as a criminal death, and officers, working with the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, arrested Brandon Ward McCray on Dec. 30 at a residence in Hollywood. McCray is being held at the Broward Main Jail on a $770,000 bond. Detectives have not released the cause of death and said the arrest affidavit is sealed as the investigation continues. Police emphasized there is no indication of a broader threat to the community as they work to reconstruct the hours leading up to Asendorf’s death.
According to investigators, a passerby called in the discovery around 7 a.m. Dec. 26, drawing police and fire-rescue units to the beach just east of Cleveland Street, a busy access point along the Broadwalk. First responders found Asendorf on the sand and confirmed she had died. Detectives later said foul play was suspected. In a brief statement, Hollywood police said the suspect was taken into custody on Dec. 30 with assistance from federal marshals. McCray faces two counts of sexual battery, as well as kidnapping, battery, and battery by strangulation. “This case remains an active criminal investigation,” the department said in its update. “There is no indication of a broader threat to the community,” the statement added.
Authorities did not detail what evidence led to McCray’s arrest, citing the sealed warrant. Records show officers took him into custody at a home on North 17th Court. Jail records list his full name as Brandon Ward McCray and show the combined bond set at $770,000 on the listed charges. Police have not said whether Asendorf and McCray had a prior relationship, though one local report indicated investigators believe they knew each other. Another report described the victim as having ties to Pennsylvania and noted she was familiar with the Hollywood Beach area. Investigators have not released surveillance images, phone records, or additional forensic findings, and a medical examiner’s ruling on the cause and manner of death has not been made public.
Detectives outlined a basic timeline: Asendorf’s body was located shortly after 7 a.m. on Dec. 26; four days later, on Dec. 30, officers and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested McCray at 1214 North 17th Court. Police have not disclosed where Asendorf was last seen alive or who reported her missing, if anyone. The department has also not said whether a weapon was recovered. The sexual battery counts include two separate charges; additional counts include kidnapping and battery by strangulation. Officials did not immediately provide ages of any witnesses, identify the initial 911 caller by name, or release any supplemental incident reports beyond the short public summaries.
Public records show McCray has an earlier, unrelated case in Broward County stemming from a 2023 arrest on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, a case that remained pending as of Monday. That prior case, which involved a dispute with vehicle repossession workers, does not establish guilt in the current investigation but adds context to his recent court history. Hollywood’s beachside corridor, including Cleveland Street and the Broadwalk, draws early-morning joggers and visitors even during the holiday week, increasing the likelihood of passersby making discoveries before lifeguards and city crews fully staff the shoreline.
Police said the arrest warrant remains sealed, limiting what can be shared publicly about investigative steps. Detectives are processing evidence collected at the beach and at the arrest location and are expected to review any available surveillance video from businesses along the Broadwalk. Investigators also plan to map Asendorf’s movements in the days before Dec. 26 and to seek additional witness statements. Prosecutors will determine whether to add or modify charges as laboratory results and medical examiner findings come in. The department said it expects to release further updates as major milestones are reached in the case.
On the beach Monday, visitors moved past the Cleveland Street access as wind pushed low surf onto the tideline. Several residents said they were stunned to learn of a death in the midst of the holiday crowds. “You think about your neighbors and the people who walk here every morning,” said Maria Alvarez, who lives nearby and walks the Broadwalk at sunrise. “It’s heartbreaking.” Another beachgoer, Ron Jacobs, said he noticed added police presence after the discovery and welcomed the update on an arrest. City crews have not placed any memorial at the site; friends of the victim have not been publicly identified by police.
As of Monday night, McCray remained in the Broward Main Jail. Police said more information will be released once the medical examiner completes initial findings and as court proceedings move forward. The next expected milestone is a court appearance tied to the listed charges and any filing decision by prosecutors later this month.
Author note: Last updated January 5, 2026.