Call Girl Pleads Not Guilty in Overdose Death of Tech Exec on Santa Cruz Yacht

Amid international media attention, a former prostitute pleaded not guilty today in Santa Cruz County Superior Court to charges related to the death last November of a one-time Google executive on his yacht, a prosecutor said.

Alix Tichelman, 26, entered the plea during her arraignment this morning on manslaughter and other felony and misdemeanor allegations related to the drug overdose of 51-year-old Forrest Hayes, Assistant District Attorney Rafael Vasquez said. 

Tichelman showed up in court with her defense attorney Athena Reis as news reporters from the BBC and other international media outlets were there to cover the case, Vasquez said.

A judge denied motions by the defense to release Tichelman on her own recognizance and reduce her bail from $1.5 million.

Her next court appearance was set for Oct. 20, when the judge will pick a date for a preliminary hearing, Vasquez said.

Prosecutors also today filed an amendment to the criminal complaint lodged July 9 against Tichelman, adding an enhancement of causing great bodily harm to a felony charge of administrating heroin.

The complaint filed last week charged her with manslaughter, administering heroin, transporting heroin from one county to another and possessing heroin for personal use, all felonies.

Tichelman is also charged with misdemeanor destruction of evidence and engaging in acts of prostitution, Vasquez said. Hayes, of Santa Cruz, once served in executive positions at Google, Sun Microsystems and Apple.

On Nov. 23, 2013, Santa Cruz police found Hayes' body on his yacht docked at the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor. An autopsy determined he died from an overdose of heroin.

Tichelman admitted to police detectives that she was a high-priced outcall prostitute with more than 200 clients, according to Santa Cruz Deputy Chief Steve Clark.

On the day he died, Hayes, who was one of Tichelman's clients, contacted her for her services as a prostitute and she bought along heroin when she met him aboard his vessel at the harbor, police said.

She allegedly injected him with heroin and then casually stood by as he lost consciousness and fell to the floor of the boat, where he later died.

Surveillance video taken on the boat showed Hayes suffering physical problems and lapsing into unconsciousness. She failed to assist him or call 911 for help, picked up the heroin, needles and her belongings and left the boat, police said.

News of the Santa Cruz case prompted police in Milton, Georgia, a town about 30 miles north of Atlanta where Tichelman lived last year, to reexamine the circumstances of the drug overdose death of her former boyfriend Dean Alan Riopelle.

Riopelle, a nightclub owner, died on Sept. 17, 2013, after Tichelman called 911 to report he had overdosed on painkillers, a Milton police spokeswoman said.

Tichelman was an exotic dancer at two topless nightclubs in San Francisco, Larry Flynt's Hustler Club from March to July 2010 and The Condor Club from June to August that year, according to her Facebook page.

Previous:

Georgia Cops Re-Examining Death of Boyfriend of Call Girl Accused in Google Exec's Overdose in Santa Cruz.

Prostitute Who Allegedly Finished Wine As Her Client Died on Yacht Arraigned in Santa Cruz Court.

Prostitute Arrested in Heroin Overdose of Google Exec on His Yacht.

--Bay City News