A 26-year-old man was charged Monday with the fatal stabbing of a Pasadena woman in a Westminster hotel two years ago.
Aryan Vito Smith is charged with murder with a sentencing enhancement allegation of the personal use of a deadly weapon in the death of 22-year-old Treeanna Nichols, according to court records.
Smith was arrested Thursday and was being held on $1 million bail.
Police were called just before 11 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2018, to conduct a welfare check on Nichols and found her dead in a room at the Quality Inn at 6601 Westminster Blvd.
Nichols had been stabbed multiple times, Westminster police Cmdr. Cameron Knauerhaze said.
In March 2018, Westminster police asked for the public’s help to find Nichols’ killer and released surveillance video of a man chugging on a vaping device as he climbed up the stairs on his way to the hotel room where the victim was found.
Investigators suspect the assailant was injured during the attack, the commander said.
Investigators believe Smith is the man seen vaping on the surveillance video released to the public, said Senior Deputy District Attorney Janine Madera.
Bail was set at $1 million at Smith’s arraignment on Monday, which was continued to June 1.
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