SARAI SIERRA (
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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish police on Sunday detained a man wanted for the killing of a Staten Island mom in Istanbul, an official said.
The suspect, identified by authorities only as Ziya T, had been on the run since the body of Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two boys, was discovered last month.
Authorities said Sierra died of a fatal blow to the head from a brick. She had traveled to Turkey to explore her photography hobby. She went alone after a friend who was supposed to join her canceled for financial reasons. Her body was found hidden near the city walls on Feb. 12, days after her family reported her missing.
The suspect was detained in Hatay province, near Turkey’s border with Syria, Gov. Celalettin Lekesiz said. He gave no further detail about the arrest or the man’s identity.
Turkish news reports have described the man as a homeless scrap paper collector who used to hang around Istanbul’s ancient city walls.
The man was expected to be taken to Istanbul for questioning and to face possible formal arrest and charges.
Reports said police identified Ziya T. as the main suspect in the case after DNA samples taken from his two brothers and a sister matched those found beneath Sierra’s nails. Police would not confirm these reports, saying the investigation is ongoing.
The homeless man was caught on surveillance video trying to sell her leather jacket, according to previous reports from Turkish media.
Ziya T., was spotted carrying the coat Sierra was seen wearing the same day that she was found with her head bashed in, according to Turkey’s Hürriyet Daily News.
At the time, authorities said they had scrutinized surveillance footage from more than 500 cameras in the vicinity of Istanbul’s ancient walls and that Ziya T. was spotted in 16 locations, allowing them to track his movements.
The footage also caught Sierra’s last moments before her gruesome death — and captured her wearing sunglasses, jeans and the same leather jacket the suspect was trying to peddle at a bazaar.
The suspect dropped out of sight in January after spending a few days after the murder with his sister and brother-in-law, who have described him as “unbalanced.”
Authorities believed at the time he had fled to Hatay, near the Syrian border, where cops were trying to track him down in crowded refugee camps.
The 33-year-old mother of two, who reportedly had sex with at least one man during her solo vacation, was found dead on Feb. 2.