QUEENS, NY – Investigators are looking into whether Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, a Queens mom found beaten and strangled in a SoHo hotel, was in fact a sex worker, sources say. Oleas-Arancibia, 38, was regularly visiting the SoHo 54 Hotel in Lower Manhattan– staying there for several nights each month for nearly a year. Information suggests she had been working for a Manhattan man with whom she was communicating via WhatsApp.
Police have collected several pieces of evidence that may help identify the murderer, including a security camera recording of a man leaving the building after Oleas-Arancibia’s death, and a restaurant receipt found in her room. Indications from the crime scene reveal that there may have been an altercation in the room. However, no suspect has been announced yet.
The deceased was found beneath a blanket by a hotel maid on February 8, with a broken and blood-stained iron lying nearby. Accommodating the Watts Street hotel for several days, Oleas-Arancibia, from Jackson Heights, had checked in that morning.
The NYC medical examiner declared her death a homicide after identifying the compression of the neck and blunt traumatic injuries to her head as cause of death.
Oleas-Arancibia, fondly remembered by her neighbor “Jonathan” who lived in the adjacent apartment in their two-story building as a “good neighbor,” recently moved in with her 18-year-old son a little more than a month ago.
Her son, Edwin Cevallos, reported that leading up to her death, his mother exhibited unusual nervousness and worried expressions. Oleas-Arancibia, originally from Ecuador, had moved to New York while her parents and younger son remained in South America. She stayed in the U.S. along with Cevallos and a nephew. Cevallos remembered her as a diligent worker devoted to providing the best life for her family in America.