Alleged escort ‘showed no regard’ in ex-Google exec’s death, police say

The death of a former tech executive aboard a yacht in Santa Cruz last November resulted in manslaughter charges Wednesday against a suspected call girl who allegedly administered a lethal dose of heroin.

Alix Catherine Tichleman, 26, of Folsom was arrested Friday in connection with the overdose death of 51-year-old Forrest Hayes, who worked for Google, Sun Microsystems and Apple.

“She showed no regard for him. She was just trying to cover her tracks,” Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Steve Clark told reporters Tuesday.

Security video from the yacht purportedly shows Tichleman preparing a dose of heroin and injecting Hayes with it. He is then seen having an adverse reaction, collapsing and becoming unconscious.

Rather than trying to help or calling 911, police say, Tichleman packed up the drugs and needles and at one point stepped over the body to finish a glass of wine before leaving.

“Finally, she leaves the boat and reaches back in to lower the blind and conceal the victim’s body from outside view,” police said in a statement.

Tichleman had been booked on suspicion of murder, but on Wednesday, Santa Cruz County prosecutors charged her with eight counts, including manslaughter, prostitution, destroying evidence and several related to administering and possessing heroin.

Tichleman’s arraignment was postponed until July 16 but she remained in custody in lieu of $1.5-million bail.

Prosecutors said the charges could change as the investigation continues.

Police allege Hayes was a client of Tichleman, who met him one night in November on his yacht in a local harbor.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner said Hayes died on Nov. 23, but police said Tichleman was only recently arrested because she had indicated on her Facebook account that she planned to leave the state soon.

Police identified her as a suspect after learning the she and Hayes allegedly had a relationship that began with the help of Seeking Arrangements, a website that caters to affluent clients seeking “sugar babies.”

Listed perks for the sugar babies include “unpaid bills no longer have to be a concern” and “indulge in shopping sprees, expensive dinners, and exotic travels.” The wealthy clientele who use the site are promised “upfront and honest arrangements with someone who will cater to your needs.”

Tichleman boasted of having more than 200 clients during interviews, police said.

Police are also looking into a death out of state, where officials say the victim died under similar circumstances.

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