A Tennessee woman who vanished during a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend three weeks ago was sighted last week in California while trying to sell her phone, according to reports, following a domestic violence call.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Nikki Alcaraz, 33, and her boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, set off to visit family in Orange County, California, earlier this month. Police last saw Alcaraz, also known as Nikki Cunningham, on May 6 in Moriarty, New Mexico, traveling with Stratton as they left a Super 8 motel.
Now, according to Cheatham County law enforcement officials, Nikki was spotted at a Walmart in Redding, Califonia, on Saturday. A photo was taken of her at the store’s ATM when she reportedly sold her phone, ABC 7 reports. Her phone is now out of service.
Prior to the Walmart sighting, Stratton and Nikki were in a domestic dispute on May 4 in Torrance County, New Mexico, which allegedly left Nikki with a black eye. Officers with Torrance County Sheriff’s Department were called to the dispute, but no arrests were made.
A witness reportedly said they saw Stratton punching Nikki in the face. The witness said Stratton was also injured and was bleeding from his mouth and nose. Stratton allegedly claimed that he was hit as well, but the pair declined to press charges against each other.
Nikki’s brother, Josh Alcaraz, told Fox 10 that Nikki’s injuries after the fight were so significant that she sustained a traumatic brain injury.
“He beat her up pretty badly,” Josh said. “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.”
Torrance County New Mexico Sheriff Frazee told News Nation Now that “there probably should have been an arrest,” following the incident.
Torrance County New Mexico Sheriff Frazee told @NewsNation "there probably should have been an arrest" in the domestic incident bw Nikki Alcaraz and Tyler Stratton. Deputy told sheriff the district attorney "frowns on such arrests." Sheriff told me he'll get to the bottom of it. pic.twitter.com/ypvP35KvOB
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) May 30, 2023
The pair parted ways following the dispute. Then, a family friend planned to meet Nikki in New Mexico and accompany her to California, but on May 6, Nikki said she needed to find Stratton.
The friend told police he left for California without Nikki, marking the last known sighting of her until Saturday.
“That morning when they were supposed to leave, she told him that she had to go back and find Tyler because she had a bad feeling, and so he left without her,” Nikki’s sister, Toni, told WKRN.
Family members said it’s unlike Nikki to lose touch, as she calls or texts family daily. Josh said Nikki has traveled back and forth to California without issue many times previously.
“She’s done that drive so many times,” he said. “She can do it in two days with her eyes closed, you know, so it’s really, really concerning that it’s been so long.”
“We are kind of lost. We don’t know what to do.”
Nikki is described as a white female who stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs around 160 pounds. She has long, brown hair and brown eyes. Stratton and Nikki could be traveling in a 2013 black Jeep Wrangler with a tag saying BGL3539, with a “Mama Tried” sticker, and camo seats.
“Due to a history of domestic assault, we believe she is in danger,” the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Moriarty, New Mexico police at 505-832-6060 or 505-834-2705.
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[Feature Photos via Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office]
