Turkish police investigating the murder of a Staten Island mom are hunting for a 46-year-old homeless man who may have tried to accost Sarai Sierra on the day she disappeared, according to a report.
The homeless scavenger, referred to by police as “Z,” is now the No. 1 suspect, and apparently disappeared immediately after the crime, according to a Turkish newspaper.
Cops said he frequented the rundown area of Istanbul where Sierra’s body was found Feb. 2.
Officials said it is likely the man first mugged Sierra, 33, near the city’s ancient walls and then tried to rape her and killed her when she resisted.
Police said the suspect may have hastily concealed her body in the tunnel where she was found after killing her nearby.
The newspaper, Vatan, said the homeless man was seen covered with soil and mud on the day Sierra went missing, and when he was asked what had happened, he simply answered, “I fell off the wall.”
Cops, meanwhile, have taken DNA samples from 53 people.
Back home in Staten Island, Sierra’s shattered family, including husband Steven, prepared for her Valentine’s Day funeral today at Matthew Funeral Home on Victory Boulevard in Staten Island.
Family members said Steven chose the date because it would have been their 15th wedding anniversary.