Watch: Bodycam footage shows Nikki Alcaraz encounter with Torrance County deputy before vanishing for weeks

Stratton (left) & Alcaraz were in a relationship (Image via Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office)
Stratton (left) & Alcaraz were in a relationship (Image via Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office)

Nikki Alcaraz, 33, the Tennessee mom who went missing during a cross-country trip with her boyfriend, has been located unharmed, authorities confirmed. The announcement comes alongside the release of recently obtained bodycam footage, which reveals the aftermath of a reported domestic assault involving Alcaraz's boyfriend, Steven Tyler Stratton.

Additionally, Stratton has been apprehended by the Eureka Police Department in California on an outstanding warrant.

Alcaraz had been missing for days and allegedly reached out to her sister Toni earlier in the month on May 9, stating that she was in Arizona. However, she had not been in contact with her family since then, and that caused further concern. The case drew comparisons to the tragic story of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, in which Petito was killed by her boyfriend Laundrie during a cross-country trip.

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Alcaraz's family, with the help of the Gabby Petito Foundation, launched a nationwide search effort to locate her.


Eyewitness account alleges Nikki Alcaraz's partner physically assaulted her

On May 4, Deputy Erwin Young responded to a domestic violence call and encountered Alcaraz and Jordan Hamilton, a trucker who had reportedly witnessed Stratton physically assaulting Alcaraz.

The bodycam footage released by Deputy Erwin Young revealed conflicting accounts from Nikki Alcaraz and Stratton regarding the incident. Stratton claimed that Alcaraz had hit him in the mouth without reason and suggested that she experienced blackouts after consuming alcohol.

However, Deputy Young's investigation led him to determine that both individuals were engaged in mutual combat during their travel on the interstate. Visible blood on Stratton's face and other evidence supported this conclusion. Nikki Alcaraz had bruises on her arms, which the deputy determined were caused by Stratton holding her down to avoid being hit.

Tyler Stratton expressed his reluctance to see Nikki Alcaraz face legal consequences. As more deputies became involved in the investigation, both Stratton and Alcaraz decided not to pursue charges, and they refused to disclose who was driving the Jeep at the time of the incident.

Following their encounter with the police, Nikki Alcaraz and Tyler Stratton went their separate ways, as reported by KABC and WKRN. A family friend had traveled to New Mexico to meet Nikki Alcaraz and then drive to California together.

However, on May 6, the day they were scheduled to depart, Alcaraz informed the friend that she needed to find Stratton. As a result, the family friend proceeded to California without Alcaraz. This event marked the last known sighting of Alcaraz before the recent reported sighting over Memorial Day weekend.


However, Alcaraz reached out to her sister on May 9, claiming to be in Arizona. Concerns grew when Alcaraz did not make contact with her family for several weeks. However, on May 27, photos surfaced from a Walmart in Redding, California, showing Alcaraz trying to sell a cellphone at an eco-ATM.

Three days later, the Redding Police Department confirmed that Alcaraz had been located and was safe. They stated that the Eureka Police Department had contacted Alcaraz earlier that day. The Redding Police Department expressed gratitude to allied agency partners for their assistance in locating Alcaraz.

Alcaraz's sighting at Redding, California, Walmart (Image via Cheatham County DA)
Alcaraz's sighting at Redding, California, Walmart (Image via Cheatham County DA)

The police had stressed that Tyler Stratton has a history of domestic violence and had expressed concerns about Nikki Alcaraz's safety in relation to him.

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Edited by Windy Goodloe
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