HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Police announced an arrest Monday morning after a woman was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Hollywood Beach the day after Christmas.
Hollywood police announced that they and U.S. Marshals took Brandon Ward McCray, 28, into custody on sexual battery, kidnapping, battery and battery by strangulation charges last Tuesday in connection with the death of 56-year-old Heather Asendorf.
Police said a passerby noticed Asendorf’s body on the sand near Cleveland Street at around 7 a.m. on Dec. 26 and called authorities. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene and detectives later determined there was foul play.
Asendorf was from Pennsylvania but was known to frequent the Hollywood Beach area.
Authorities did not release any details about what tied McCray to the case and his arrest warrant was listed as sealed on the Broward Clerk of Courts website.
Police said he was arrested at his home in the 1200 block of North 17th Court.
“This case remains an active criminal investigation,” Hollywood police said in a news release. “There is no indication of a broader threat to the community.”
As of Monday morning, McCray was being held in the Broward Main Jail on a $770,000 bond, records show.
Hollywood police told Local 10 News that more charges will likely follow.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

