Sex offender arrested for Salinas Motel 6 homicide

UPDATE: 11/3/2017 10:51 a.m. Salinas Police have made an arrest related to a suspicious death at a Motel 6.

According to Salinas Police, detectives determined that the last person to see the victim, 30-year-old Shantel Llamas was 51-year-old Richard Eugene Simmons. Llamas was found dead on October 12 at a Motel 6 on Kern Street. At the time there were no obvious signs of her cause of death.

On November 1, detectives were notified by the Monterey County Coroner’s Office that Llama’s death was in fact being ruled a homicide, by means of asphyxiation.

On November 2, US Marshal’s found Simmons in the Ocean Beach area of San Francisco where he was arrested. Salinas Police transported Simmons back to Salinas where he was booked into Monterey County Jail. Simmons was already wanted on an outstanding $1,000,000 warrant for failure to register as a sex offender.

There have been 27 homicides in Salinas so far this year.

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Officials with the Salinas Police Department told KION they are investigating a suspicious death at Motel 6 on Kern Street.

Patrol officers responded to a welfare check at the Motel 6 early Thursday morning. Once on scene, officers found a woman dead in one of the rooms on the backside of the property.

Police said her death is being considered suspicious because the woman was in her 30’s and did not have prior medical conditions. Investigators collected evidence from the scene, in case an autopsy result determines otherwise.

“Until we have the opportunity for the coroner’s office to take and examine the body and come back with a means and motive of death, we really don’t know,” said Commander Stan Cooper.

No word why she was at the motel. Investigators said they’re trying to find people who were with her prior to her death. No word when the autopsy will be completed.