HIALEAH, Fla. – An illegal alien from Honduras, Ronald Lopez Andrade, 26, was arrested Monday in the killing of a woman at a motel in Hialeah, police said.
According to an arrest report, the victim, Yaimi Guevara Machado, 30, was at the Chesapeake Motel, 935 W. Okeechobee Road, on Sunday with a friend, and Andrade was seen in the lobby of the motel asking employees if there were any prostitutes at the motel.
Police said the friend left the room for a short time and Machado, who was wearing only a bra and jeans, was accidentally locked out of the room.
Despite the police report, Machado's family insists that she was with her boyfriend when they both got locked outside the room during an argument. Machado's sister, Juliet Machado, told Local 10 News that her sister's boyfriend said he was going to get the room key, but left her stranded at the motel.
Detectives said Andrade struck up a conversation with the victim and allowed her to wear his shirt.
But Andrade quickly became outraged when Machado refused Andrade's sexual advances, detectives said.
According to the report, Andrade straddled Machado, beat her and covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
Detectives said he removed the victim's pants when she was no longer moving and attempted to have sex with her, but he could not get an erection.
Police said Andrade noticed that Machado was not moving and her face was covered in blood so he quickly left the scene.
Machado was found naked in a grassy area near the motel with her clothes nearby.
Detectives believe that Machado died of asphyxiation and/or blunt trauma. Her body was turned over to the medical examiner’s office, which will determine an official cause of death.
Police said Andrade has been living in the U.S. for less than a year and was living in an apartment building behind the motel.
He was arrested on a second-degree murder charge.
Machado's family told Local 10 News that Machado was a very intelligent woman who wanted to be a nurse.