The trial of a Santa Ana man in the murder of a year-old escort in a Newport Beach office complex got underway with opening statements Monday morning in Santa Ana. Hernandez was arrested two days later and, according to court records, has remained in custody since. Hernandez pleaded not guilty in and maintained his innocence Monday in a courtroom presided over by Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard King. In his opening remarks, prosecutor Robert Goodkin said he is seeking a guilty verdict for the charge of second-degree murder.
If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life. In laying out his case, Goodkin explained that Alcaraz worked for an adult entertainment agency called Cyren Entertainment, which supplied escorts to privately dance for clients at their homes or in hotel rooms.
Goodkin called the business a scam and said such services could at times rise to the degree of prostitution. Cyren would bait-and-switch by falsely advertising with photos of women not in its employ and send its actual employees to meet with customers, Goodkin said. He added that customers would often be frustrated that the girl marketed was not the one that arrived, and at times they would refuse services, which would then lead to the demand for a cancellation fee.
Prosecutors said this was also true of the advertisement that Hernandez allegedly viewed on backpage. Drivers were also tasked with protecting the escorts or collecting payment when due. Hernandez, who worked as a janitor in the Campus Drive office complex where Alcaraz was found, called Cyren Entertainment and requested an escort. Hernandez had requested that there be no driver. Prosecutors said Alcaraz was inside the complex for about nine minutes.
At the seven-minute mark, she texted Beltran to advise him she had collected the fee from Hernandez. But she never exited the building. Cyren Entertainment manager Lynda Estrada reported Alcaraz missing to Newport Beach police when she did not respond to any calls or messages, Goodkin said. He said that incident was traumatizing for Hernandez, who was afraid of being deported to his native El Salvador. He alleged Alcaraz then tried to leave without providing services.
