California preschool teacher murder suspect arrested during nap time: police

A preschool teacher who worked on the campus of Stanford University was arrested for murder last week, along with her friend, according to authorities.

Santa Cruz resident Diana Ornelas, 22, was arrested on Wednesday along with her friend, Dennis Novoa, 27.

The pair allegedly shot and killed 24-year-old Oliver Waterfall in Santa Cruz County in California on April 11. His body was found on a hillside off Highway 9.

Authorities said in a statement that they believe the motive for the killing was “of a personal nature” as Ornelas and Novoa apparently knew Waterfall.

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Ornelas taught at the Children’s Center of the Stanford Community, a child care center on campus. A Stanford University spokesperson said Ornelas was arrested at nap time.

“The arrest happened at nap time and outside of the perimeter of the CCSC campus. Children were not present when this occurred, and it did not disrupt operations,” the spokesperson told student newspaper the Stanford Daily.

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The sheriff’s department said the two arrests were the result of weeks of investigating and interviewing.

“Over the past two weeks, detectives have been conducting interviews and reviewing surveillance footage related to the case,” the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Ornelas no longer works at the preschool, according to FOX 2 San Francisco. Both suspects are in jail without bail.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to call 831-454-7702.

Fox News Digital reached out to Stanford University for a statement but did not receive an immediate response.