Carlos Baez Nieves, 24, faces murder charges in the slayings of Fatia Flowers, 41, and Nichole Daniels, 44, whose bodies were found on the side of the road in Orlando.
A Florida man who has been charged with the murders of two women is feared to be a "potential serial killer" who could have more victims, officials said.
Carlos Baez Nieves, 24, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of Fatia Flowers, 41, and Nichole Daniels, 44, whose bodies were found on the side of the road in Orlando. Flowers, who detectives said also went by Antonia Heath, is believed to have been killed on March 4 and Daniels is believed to have been killed on April 17.
Baez Nieves is believe to have hired the women on separate occasions and paid them for sex before strangling them and dumping their bodies, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said. The women's bodies were found at the intersection of Trevarthon Road and Harrell Road, which is not far from Baez Nieves' home, Mina said.
At a press conference Monday, Mina said Baez Nieves had the makings of a “potential serial killer” because of the short time between the killings and the similarities of how the victims died. Mina also said that there could be more victims and is working with other law enforcement agencies.
Baez Nieves, who is from Puerto Rico, moved to Orange County around 2020, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Authorities were able to catch Baez Nieves because he was trying to sell a white Ford F-150 pickup truck, which was the same pickup he was seen getting into at a gas station on North Econlockhatchee Trail the night before Flowers was found dead, Mina said Monday.
“I’m confident that through their vigilance in these cases, our detectives have prevented Baez-Nieves from becoming a prolific serial killer,” Mina said in a statement. “Baez-Nieves clearly targeted women he thought wouldn’t be missed. He murdered them and dumped them on the side of the road like trash. But our detectives knew that Fatia and Nichole’s lives were meaningful, and that they are worthy of justice.”
The Orange County Sherriff’s Office posted images of the victims on Facebook along with an announcement about Baez Nieves’ arrest.
Baez Nieves “ultimately confessed to both murders" during an interview with detectives, according to the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. He is being held in the Orange County Jail without bond. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges he faces. It was unclear if has obtained legal representation.
