As the search for missing Texas woman Nicole “Nikki” Winder continues, her brother has been arrested for an unrelated crime after investigators executed a search warrant at a pair of properties he owns.
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the search warrants were part of the ongoing investigation regarding Winder’s disappearance, according to KBTX.
County tax records show that the missing woman’s brother, Dustin Winder, owns both properties, which are located just a mile apart.
Dustin was arrested on the morning of Wednesday, April 15, on a warrant for soliciting prostitution, according to jail records. The incident took place on February 17, which was before Winder, 53, went missing on February 25.
The sheriff’s office said that they discovered the evidence amid the investigation into Winder’s disappearance, though the arrest is related to a separate criminal offense.
“During today’s operation, Dustin Winder, a 50-year-old Brazos County resident, was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant for solicitation of prostitution,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement, per the outlet. “This warrant is based on evidence developed during the course of the investigation but relates to a separate criminal offense and is not connected to Ms. Winder’s disappearance. The search warrants executed today were conducted at properties connected to Mr. Winder.”
The sheriff’s office added that no arrests have been made in direct connection to Winder’s disappearance.
“Locating Ms. Winder and determining what happened remain the highest priorities of this investigation,” authorities continued in the statement. “We want to assure the community that every tip and lead is being thoroughly reviewed and investigated.”
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office worked with the Texas Rangers, FBI, Texas Parks and Wildlife and College Station Police Department to make the arrest.
It is not currently clear if Dustin has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
As Us previously reported, Winder was last seen around 3 p.m. on February 25 when she left a residence she was employed at.
She was reported missing when her car was found on fire at an oil pad. Investigators determined that the fire was arson, and multiple agencies have set out to find Winder.
Winder stands at 5-foot-7 tall, weighs 130 pounds and has green eyes and blonde hair.
Police have asked that anyone with information regarding Winder’s whereabouts contact the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office or Brazos County Crime Stoppers.
