A preschool teacher who worked on the campus of Stanford University was arrested for murder this week, along with her friend.
Santa Cruz resident Diana Ornelas, 22, was arrested on Wednesday, along with her friend Dennis Novoa, 27.
The pair is accused of fatally shooting 24-year-old Oliver Waterfall in Santa Cruz County on April 11. His body was found on a hillside off of Highway 9.
Authorities said in a statement that they believed the motive was “of a personal nature.” Ornelas and Novoa allegedly knew Waterfall.
Santa Cruz resident Diana Ornelas, 22, was arrested on Wednesday, along with her friend Dennis Novoa, 27. (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office)
Ornelas taught at the Children’s Center of the Stanford Community, a childcare center on campus. A Stanford University spokesperson said that Ornelas was arrested at naptime.
“The arrest happened at naptime, and outside of the perimeter of the CCSC campus. Children were not present when this occurred, and it did not disrupt operations,” the spokesperson told student newspaper The Stanford Daily.
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The sheriff’s department said the two arrests were the result of weeks of investigating and interviewing.
“Over the past two weeks, detectives have been conducting interviews and reviewing surveillance footage related to the case,” the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Ornelas was arrested outside of her workplace, the Children’s Center of the Stanford Community. She reportedly no longer works there. (Google Maps)
Ornelas no longer works at the preschool, according to FOX 2 San Francisco. Both suspects have been placed in jail without bail.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the case. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to call 831-454-7702.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Stanford University for a statement, but did not receive an immediate response.
