Joran van der Sloot, the Dutch man once considered a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, is the suspect in the killing of a woman in Peru, Peruvian police officials said Wednesday
An arrest warrant has been issued for Joran van der Sloot in the stabbing murder of a Peruvian 22-year-old woman named Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramirez, according to official information
Joran van der Sloot was last seen in the company of the victim on Sunday, May 30, by both a hotel guest and an employee at the facility. Joran had been in the company of Stephany Flores the night before, Saturday, May 29, as well. The two were video taped in the Atlantic City Casino.
Stabbing murder on Sunday
According to Criminal police chief Gen. Cesar Guardia, an international arrest warrant has been issued by Interpol since the suspect fled Peru supposedly enroute for Chile after the murder occurred on Sunday, May 30.
Joran van der Sloot was in Peru for a poker tournament, having entered the country on May 14. It is unclear if Stephany participated in the gambling tournament as well.
Bloody stabbing mess in hotel room
Stephany Flores was murdered approximately 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 30, according to her father Ricardo Flores, a Peruvian businessman and race car driver. Joran van der Sloot was the registered occupant of the luxury hotel room in the Miraflores neighborhood of the city.
The room in which Joran had rented, and Stephany's body was found, was covered with blood and showed signs of a struggle.
May murders a coincidence?
Joran van der Sloot has remained a suspect in the May 30 disappearance of another young woman, Natalie Holloway. Holloway was last seen in the company of Joran van der Sloot when she disappeared as well.
Like Stephany Flores, Natalie had been seen with Joran van der Sloot in a hotel casino too. And like Stephany, Natalie was not seen the next morning after spending the evening with Joran van der Sloot. The fact that Natalie disappeared in May of 2005, her body never to be found, and Stephany Flores was murdered in May 2010 has not escaped the notice of law enforcement investigating both cases.
Joran van der Sloot checks out of hotel four hours after arriving with Stephanie
Joran and Stephanie had only been at the hotel for four hours when the Dutch boy absconded Peru. Joran checked out of the hotel room in which Stephany's body would later be found three days later, on Wednesday, June 2.
But Joran did not immediately leave Peru. Instead, he exited the country around 1:42 p.m. in the afternoon on Monday, May 31, according to official reports.
NY city lawyer for van der Sloot comments
"Joran van der Sloot has been falsely accused of murder once before," Joran's New York city lawyer, Joe Tacopina told the press.
The Dutch boy's lawyer cautioned anyone from rushing to judgment on the case, but many have said that is an impossibility given the similarities already glaringly obvious and that Joran van der Sloot fled the premises the day Stephanie Flores is believed to have been stabbed to death in Joran's hotel room in Peru.
