Prosecutors allege woman’s killing at Ivy Town Hotel was random

When police forced their way into space 116 of the Ivy City Resort on New York Avenue on March 31, they uncovered Bautista, lying on the floor of the hotel space, experience down. Authorities explained Sydnor was sitting down on the bed, cigarette smoking a cigarette with a damaged, bloodied knife nearby.

“This was a random assault,” Assistant U.S. legal professional Sarah Santiago argued at a hearing in the circumstance Friday in D.C. Remarkable Court. “Ms. Bautista was stalked, trapped and killed within a resort home that she rented.”

Choose Robert Okun ordered Sydnor, 44, to stay in jail till demo. Jesse I. Winograd, Sydnor’s lawyer, argued his customer did not randomly select Bautista’s lodge place and that the two were acquainted, but he did not elaborate and refused to remark more. Sydnor, dressed in an orange D.C. jail jumpsuit, sat quietly all through the hearing.

“There is no question in my mind that Mr. Sydnor killed her by stabbing the target consistently with a knife,” the choose mentioned.

Authorities say Sydnor drove a bicycle to the hotel and went to Bautista’s area she experienced just checked in, and her car was parked outdoors.

The decide stated a video clip confirmed Sydnor listening outdoors the room doorway for about 15 seconds ahead of he entered. There were no indications of compelled entry, and authorities consider Bautista, 31, mistakenly remaining her area doorway unlocked or unknowingly opened the door, not understanding Sydnor’s intentions.

Fewer than a minute afterwards, authorities say, Bautista opened the hotel room doorway and twice screamed for assistance. She quickly disappeared inside of as it swung shut.

Santiago reported Sydnor experienced at least 8 prior criminal circumstances, like some that involved girls victims. Court information show he had been introduced from jail after pleading guilty to tried theft in D.C. though awaiting demo on a independent larceny charge in Prince George’s County, and had missed court docket dates in the two locations.

“He has a record of focusing on females,” the prosecutor claimed. “He is a risk to the group, specifically girls.”

Winograd argued that Sydnor, who was uncovered by police with a minimize to his proper hand and finger, was defending himself versus Bautista, and that she was the first aggressor inside the lodge area. He performed a video that showed his shopper using up to the hotel home on his rented bicycle and parking outdoors the place doorway, growing the volume to attempt to show there ended up no audible signs of screaming when Sydnor 1st entered.

“She permit him into that place and for no matter what purpose, she then stabbed him 1st,” Winograd stated.

Santiago noted the Sydnor, at 6′4, would have towered more than Bautista, who was scarcely 5′ tall.

Soon after the hearing, Bautista’s sister, who was in the courtroom, declined to comment. Ricci Tan, a pal of Bautista’s mom, claimed Bautista, a James Madison University graduate, did not know Sydnor. She explained she was informed that Bautista drove to D.C. from her house in Harrisonburg, Va., to go to a live performance.

“We are just so relieved that he was not unveiled back again into the neighborhood and has to continue to be in jail,” Tan mentioned.