Earlier today, Orange County Sheriff Jon Mina announced the arrest of Carlos Yadiel Baez-Nieves, who was charged for the murder two women in the Orlando area.

During an interview with homicide detectives, Baez-Nieves confessed to murdering Fatia Flowers, 41, and Nichole Daniels, 44 in East Orange County.

“Nieves targeted the most vulnerable women he could target,” Mina said. “Women who were transient and traded sex for money. On two separate occasions, about a month apart, he picked up 41-year-old Fatia Flowers and 44-year-old Nichole Daniels, had sex with them, and strangled them to death. Then Baez-Nieves drove to an
intersection, and pushed their lifeless bodies out of his truck.”

On March 14th, Fatia Flowers’ body was found at the intersection of Trevarthon Road and Harold Road, and her cause of death was not immediately clear, but Mina described it as “highly suspicious in nature.” On April 17th, body of Nichole Daniels was found in the same location. Investigators eventually found video surveillance that showed Daniels entering a “very distinctive” white Ford F-150 pickup truck at the 7-Eleven gas station along the 1700 block of North Econlockhatchee Trail. The footage was captured on the night before the discovery of Daniels’ dead body. The truck was later determined to belong to Baez-Nieves. Further investigation revealed that Baez-Nieves was actively trying to sell the truck. Detectives also discovered that he was driving on a suspended driver’s license and were able to make an arrest for that violation. During an interrogation, Baez-Nieves ultimately confessed to strangling the two women to death.

“I’m confident that through their vigilance in these cases, our detectives have prevented Baez-Nieves from becoming a prolific serial killer,” Mina said. “Baez-Nieves clearly targeted women he thought wouldn’t be missed. He murdered them and dumped them on the side of the road like trash. But our detectives knew that Fatia and Nichole’s lives were meaningful and that they were worthy of justice.”