NEW YORK (AP) - Investigators on Friday obtained a search warrant to examine the boyfriend of a fashion designer found dead in a bathtub at a posh hotel in the hopes of finding evidence that may help them determine how she died.
The warrant allows police to take swabs and samples from the fingernails of Nicholas Brooks, the son of “You Light Up My Life” songwriter Joseph Brooks. He has been with police since his girlfriend, Sylvie Cachay, was discovered around 3:30 a.m. Thursday at the Soho House hotel. Police would also look and any possible signs of struggle or trauma, said chief NYPD spokesman Paul Browne.
Brooks, 24, has not been charged with a crime and remains cooperative with investigators. He had an attorney, but police said they didn’t know the lawyer’s name.
The medical examiner’s office said Friday that toxicology tests were being performed on the body after an initial autopsy was unable to conclusively pinpoint the cause of death. Such tests typically take days.
The 33-year-old Cachay, wearing a black top and underwear, was found submerged in the oval tub, face-up after hotel staff noticed the ceiling below her room was leaking. Investigators said she had some red marks around her neck and a bite mark on her hand.
A bottle of prescription pills was found in the room, but no illegal drugs were found.
Cachay lived in an apartment in Manhattan’s West Village, but had a membership to the exclusive club frequented by celebrities. That meant she had access to the rooftop pool, where “Sex and the City” episodes were filmed, and was able to rent one of the 24 guests rooms at a discount. The hotel has hosted stars like Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts.
Browne said there had been a small bedroom fire sparked by a candle at her apartment earlier in the week, and that may have led her to stay at the Soho House.
Cachay and Brooks had been dating about six months, and investigators said some of her friends told them he was erratic. Before the body was found, Brooks was seen leaving the hotel, then returning and leaving again. According to police, he told investigators he ran into a friend at the lobby, and the two left to go get drinks.
Cachay grew up with dual citizenship, splitting her time between Peru and Virginia. She graduated from Marymount University with a degree in design.
She interned at Marc Jacobs and worked for Tommy Hilfiger and Victoria’s Secret. She left the lingerie empire in 2006 to start her own collection, but had been working at fashion houses again after the economy tanked and she lost her backing. Her former publicist called her the “darling of the swimsuit world.”
Brooks’ Academy Award-winning father is awaiting trial in an unrelated case. The 72-year-old was accused of raping 11 women he lured to his apartment with the promise of a starring role in a movie. He has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges and is free on bail.
He won the Oscar for Best Original Song for the 1977 ballad “You Light Up My Life.” He also wrote and directed the movie “You Light Up My Life,” about a comedian who has a one-night stand with a director.
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