Tennessee lady Nikki Alcaraz goes lacking on highway journey with boyfriend, eerie echoes of Gabby Petito

A Tennessee couple is lacking after embarking on a cross nation journey a number of weeks in the past – in a case that harks again to the 2021 disappearance of journey blogger Gabby Petito.

Nikki Alcaraz, 33, set out on the tour someday in early Might, departing her dwelling a couple of miles outdoors Nashville with the intent of arriving in Southern California some days later to see household.

Alongside for the almost 2,000-mile drive was Alcaraz’s boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, and Alcaraz’s pet canine.

Someplace alongside the way in which, the 33-year-old mom up and vanished, cops say – with witness accounts and police stories now indicating that some type battle transpired shortly earlier than her disappearance.

The altercation occurred in New Mexico in Might 4, and left Alcaraz with a black eye. 

The damage is seen in a Torrance County police report filed later that day, after the pair have been booked and later let go with none fees filed – simply as Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie have been when stopped by police in Utah after the same bustup.

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Alcaraz, seen right here with a black eye after a Might 4 altercation along with her boyfriend , set out on the tour someday in early Might, departing her dwelling a couple of miles outdoors Nashville with the intent of arriving in Southern California some days later to see household.

Someplace alongside the way in which, the 33-year-old mom up and vanished, cops say – with witness accounts and police stories now indicating that some type battle transpired shortly earlier than her disappearance, as they piece collectively what occurred

A witness informed responding officers that they noticed Stratton – who, like Laundrie, is needed for an unrelated offense – punch her within the face. 

The report additionally states that Stratton claimed he was additionally hit in the course of the altercation in small-town Moriarty, which has a inhabitants of roughly 1,900 and is ready simply outdoors Albuquerque.

Talking to Pix11 Information Sunday, Alcaraz’s sister, Toni Alcaraz, recalled how she obtained a frantic name from Nikki later that day – days earlier than she was final seen.

‘She was crying and upset,’ Toni recalled to the outlet, detailing her and different’s so-far failed efforts to trace both her sister or her boyfriend down.

‘Her eye was already turning black and you could possibly inform she was beat up fairly unhealthy,’ she added.

The Tennessee native went on to element how after the alleged battle, a household good friend drove to New Mexico to fulfill along with her sister – who has two school-aged youngsters at dwelling – in hopes of bringing her to California herself.

Nevertheless, when that unnamed customer arrived and was set to move off with Alcaraz on Might 6, they have been rebuffed – informed by the still- lacking lady that she had determined to remain, and was intent on monitoring down her boyfriend.

To cops’ information, that particular person was the final particular person to see Alcaraz – although Toni informed Pix11 she obtained a textual content from her sister’s cellphone three days later, wherein she claimed to be in Arizona and en path to California.

Practically three weeks later, Alcaraz has nonetheless but to reach – along with her boyfriend, canine, and automobile all additionally nowhere to be discovered.

Talking to Pix11 Information Sunday, Alcaraz’s sister, Toni Alcaraz, recalled how she obtained a frantic name from Nikki the day cops mentioned she obtained right into a bodily battle with Stratton – days earlier than she was final seen

The pair departed Tennessee in late April on this black Jeep, which has but to be positioned. The automobile belongs to Alcaraz, and was final positioned by a license plate reader in Arizona on Might 9

Additionally lacking is Alcaraz’s pet canine, who accompanied the pair throughout what was purported to be 2,000 mile, few-day journey

As officers seek for leads as to the placement of the disappeared pair, Toni informed the outlet that she is nervous that one thing could have occurred between the 2 resulting in her sister’s disappearance

As officers seek for leads as to the placement of the disappeared pair, Toni informed the outlet that she is nervous that one thing could have occurred between the 2.

‘I’m scared one thing occurred to them, whether or not they obtained in one other battle or in the event that they crashed her Jeep someplace,’ Alcaraz’s involved relative mentioned, revealing that she had been driving out West to see their uncle.

‘I discuss to her nearly daily, so I’m scared one thing occurred to them,’ she mentioned. ‘It’s a visit she’s performed a whole bunch of occasions.’

Talking to the station Sunday, Toni defined that she and different kin are frantically trying to find their lacking relative, with assist from the Moriarity Police Division.

Federal officers have but to contain themselves within the search, which has to this point failed to show up any leads – apart from the truth that Alcaraz’s 2013 black Jeep Wrangler was positioned by a license plate reader close to Flagstaff, Arizona, on the day she known as her sister to inform her she was in The Grand Canyon State.

On Sunday, Toni informed Pix11 that regardless of the grim precursor supplied by the headline-case surrounding the late Petito, who was discovered useless two months after she refused to press fees towards an abusive Laundrie, she is hopeful her sister continues to be alive.

‘I don’t assume she is useless on the market someplace, but it surely’s all a chance at this level, and I’m actually frightened of that, however I’m praying that’s not the case,’ she mentioned.

Of the similarities to the Petito case, she additional remarked: ‘All of the tales like that that appear to occur and appear to occur extra usually make it extra terrifying.’

The damage is seen in a Torrance County police report filed later that day, after the pair have been booked and later let go with none fees filed – simply as Petito and boyfriend Brian Laundrie have been when stopped by police in Utah after the same bustup in August 2021 (seen right here) 

Regardless of the grim precursor supplied by the headline-case surrounding Petito, who was discovered useless two months after her bustup with Laundrie, Toni mentioned she is hopeful her sister continues to be alive 

In the meantime, her brother, Josh Alcaraz, informed native Fox affliliate Fox10 that his sister was left battered after the encounter along with her at-large beau – however nonetheless refused to press fees.

‘He beat her up fairly badly,’ he mentioned. ‘A truck driver needed to pull him off of her, name the police, the police picked him up, took him a pair exits down and dropped him off. She was identified with a traumatic mind damage, and a damaged hand or wrist.’

Of his kin potential whereabouts, he added: ‘She left on a mission to search out Tyler, and that’s the final anyone has actually heard [from her].’

Within the meantime, DA’s within the sisters’ native Tennessee are working to compile proof from regulation enforcement in each New Mexico and Arizona in hopes of finding any of the lacking social gathering.

District Lawyer Basic Ray Crouch mentioned this week that his workplace has requested nationwide extradition for the still-missing Stratton, who is needed for failure to look on a probation violation stemming over an unrelated theft cost.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Crouch’s workplace for remark relating to progress with the search. Each Alcaraz and Stratton stay lacking as of Monday.