TACOMA, Wash. — The man suspected of killing 35-year-old Syretta Brown in 2021 was charged with first-degree murder.
Nickolas Allen Rojas, 22, had previously been arrested and was still in custody for the homicide of 31-year-old Diego Escalante when he was charged with the murder of Brown. Rojas' bail was increased to $2 million.
Brown's body was found inside a tent at a Tacoma homeless encampment on Nov. 13, 2021. Her death was ruled a homicide on Feb. 11, 2022. She died of multiple sharp force injuries, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner.
Tacoma police previously said that when medical personnel responded, they discovered Brown’s body inside a tent and found that she had been dead for an extended period of time.
Brown’s parents, Debora and Dennis Underwood told KING 5 in a November 2021 interview that detectives told them of their daughter’s death on Nov. 16, 2021, saying detectives had told them Brown was found with a knife wound and a broken jaw.
The last time the Underwoods said they saw their daughter alive and well was Thanksgiving 2020 when she came home. They said although Brown struggled with homelessness, mental health and drug use, she was still a person and deserved better.
Brown is survived by her two young sons.
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