Teen Girl Found Dead After Dating App Meetup Man Arrested Across State Lines
An 18-year-old Arizona girl who vanished after allegedly meeting someone through a dating app has been found dead, and a suspect has now been taken into custody.
Yessenia Norman was reported missing on January 19 after she failed to return to the transitional housing facility where she had been living. According to friends, she had left several days earlier to meet a man she connected with online.
Disappearance Sparks Search
Norman was last seen on January 15. When she didn’t come back to the facility, concern quickly grew, prompting a missing person report. Authorities launched a search as family and friends waited desperately for answers.
More than a week later, investigators made a grim discovery.
On January 28, police found Norman’s body inside an apartment complex in Tolleson, Arizona. Authorities later confirmed she had suffered multiple stab wounds.
Suspect Identified and Tracked Across the Country
Police identified 27-year-old Randal Santillan as a person of interest. Investigators say Norman had allegedly met Santillan through a dating app prior to her disappearance.
Santillan was a resident at the apartment complex where Norman’s body was discovered. Records indicate he had previously lived there with his ex-wife, who moved out in December.
Cell phone data reportedly placed both Santillan and Norman in the same area on the night she disappeared.
After Norman’s death, authorities allege Santillan fled Arizona. His vehicle was tracked traveling through multiple states, including Illinois, New Mexico, Texas and Missouri, before ultimately stopping in Mississippi.
Arrest Made in Mississippi
Early Friday morning, Feb. 6, Santillan was arrested in Biloxi, Mississippi. He has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in connection with Norman’s death.
Santillan is currently being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center as he awaits extradition back to Arizona.
Family Devastated by Loss
A GoFundMe campaign organized to help cover funeral expenses described Norman as a vibrant and loving young woman.
“After weeks of searching, her remains were tragically found,” the fundraiser read. “Her life was taken far too soon, and her family is shattered by this loss.”
Norman’s mother, Jessica Nuñez, expressed disbelief over her daughter’s death.
“I can’t imagine who would do something like this to her,” she said. “I just don’t understand.”
Ongoing Investigation
The transitional housing facility where Norman lived was reportedly contracted through Arizona’s Department of Child Safety, though officials have not disclosed how long she had been residing there.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released additional details surrounding the events leading up to Norman’s death.