COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — The Council Bluff's Police Department has identified the victim in a suspicious death case at a Motel 8 as well as provided background on the person of interest arrested.
The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Natalia Victoria Manriquez Sepulveda. She was a Chile native and was a housekeeper at the Motel 8.
Here's what we know from CBPD:
As part of an ongoing suspicious death investigation, on September 14, 2023, members of the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division applied for and were granted a search warrant for 609 North 8th Street in Council Bluffs.
During the execution of the warrant, investigators located the person of interest in the investigation, who was previously unidentified.
The subject was taken into custody without incident and identified as 49-year-old Jesse William Smith, previously of Denver, CO.
Smith was interviewed by detectives then arrested and lodged at the Pottawattamie County Jail for the alleged charges of sexual abuse in the third degree and fugitive from justice.
Investigators learned that Smith had extraditable arrest warrants from Colorado for failure to register as a sex offender and a parole violation.
As of August 9, Smith was number two on Colorado’s list of Most Wanted Sex Offenders.
Investigators allege that they believe Smith has been living in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area under an assumed name for several years in an effort to evade charges in Colorado.
The victim in this case has been identified as Natalia Victoria Manriquez Sepulveda.
Natalia, 35, is a native of Chile and was employed as a housekeeper at the Super 8 Motel in Council Bluffs. The death investigation remains active pending the final results of an autopsy.
Police would like to thank the public for the numerous tips submitted during this investigation. The information gathered from the public was instrumental in helping to identify and locate Smith.
PREVIOUS, according to CBPD:
According to CBPD, on Sept. 7, at 3:10 p.m., Council Bluffs police and fire departments were dispatched to the Super 8 Motel at 2712 South 24th Street, in Council Bluffs, for a report of an unresponsive person.
An investigation revealed that an adult female died at the hotel under suspicious circumstances, said police. The final results of the autopsy are still pending.
Specific details of the investigation are not being released at this time, as the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728. To remain anonymous, they may call CrimeStoppers at 712-328-7867 or submit an online crime tip at https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/FormCenter/Police-Department-2/Online-CrimeStoppers-Tip-70
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