The victim, 56-year-old Heather Asendorf, was found on the sand the morning after Christmas.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Hollywood police said they arrested Brandon Ward McCray, 28, on multiple felony counts after a woman was found dead on Hollywood Beach on Dec. 26 near Cleveland Street. The arrest came Dec. 30 with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. McCray is charged with two counts of sexual battery along with kidnapping, battery and battery by strangulation.
Detectives opened the case the morning after Christmas when a passerby reported a body on the shoreline shortly after 7 a.m. Paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene. Police identified her as Heather Asendorf, 56, and said she frequented the area though she was originally from Pennsylvania. Investigators called the circumstances suspicious and said foul play was suspected from the outset. The department has not disclosed how Asendorf died, and the medical examiner has not yet released a cause or manner of death. Police said the arrest affidavit is sealed while they pursue additional interviews and collect lab results.
Authorities said Asendorf was discovered wrapped in a sheet near a public access path off Cleveland Street, a portion of the beachfront lined with small hotels and cafes. Crime-scene technicians documented the area and canvassed nearby buildings for video. By week’s end, police and federal partners arrested McCray at a residence in Hollywood. The department did not detail what led them to the suspect. “It remains an active investigation,” the agency said in a written statement, noting there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the public connected to the case.
McCray was booked into the Broward County Jail after his Dec. 30 arrest. Court records show he faces two counts of sexual battery, kidnapping, battery and battery by strangulation tied to the same incident under investigation. Prosecutors will review the case file and decide whether to add or modify charges once the sealed warrant and supporting documents are made public. Police have not said whether McCray and Asendorf knew each other, whether there are additional crime scenes beyond the beach, or whether surveillance footage captured interactions involving either person before the discovery.
Hollywood Beach, one of Broward County’s busiest tourist spots, typically sees early-morning walkers and maintenance crews along the waterline. Fatal incidents on the sand are rare and tend to draw large investigative responses. The Dec. 26 call brought patrol officers, detectives and fire rescue to the scene just after sunrise. Residents said they noticed officers going door to door at nearby inns, while others reported police vehicles staged along the Broadwalk as technicians photographed the shoreline. The discovery happened during a holiday week with higher-than-usual foot traffic near the water and the adjacent promenade.
In the days after the discovery, detectives continued collecting statements and sought any video from businesses facing the water. The department credited the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force with assisting in McCray’s apprehension. Additional arrests are not anticipated, police said, but they left open the possibility of further developments after autopsy findings and forensic testing are complete. An initial court appearance set bond conditions, and additional hearings are expected after prosecutors formally file charges in circuit court.
Neighbors and beachgoers described a quiet morning disrupted by sirens and tape. “You could see deputies and detectives walking a line along the sand,” said Claudia Romero, who was out for a morning run. “It was clear they were treating it as something serious from the start.” A clerk at a small hotel near Cleveland Street said officers asked to review video from exterior cameras facing the Broadwalk and beach access, returning later to retrieve copies as the week progressed.
As of Tuesday, police had not released autopsy results, and the arrest affidavit remained sealed by a judge. Investigators said they plan to share more once doing so will not compromise the case. Further updates are expected when the medical examiner’s office completes its report and prosecutors file formal charges in court.
Author note: Last updated January 6, 2026.