On September 19, 2023, Northlake Police responded to a distress call at the Tru By Hilton Northlake Hotel around 11:52 pm. The call was made by an unidentified individual who reported hearing a woman screaming from one of the hotel rooms.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers attempted to gain access to the room using a key, but their efforts were met with resistance. The occupant, identified as Aaron Ezra Cole II, reportedly opened the door briefly before quickly closing and locking it with the deadbolt.
In order to enter the room, law enforcement officers resorted to using a breaching tool. Once access was successfully gained, Cole II was called out of the room and taken into custody. Inside the hotel room, officers discovered 51-year-old Nichelle Rene Cole, a resident of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, unconscious and bleeding.
Despite the immediate efforts of officers to administer CPR, Nichelle Rene Cole was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.
As the investigation unfolded, it was revealed that Aaron Ezra Cole II is the son of the victim. According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner, Ms. Cole's cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries and strangulation.
Aaron Ezra Cole II has been arrested and subsequently booked into the Denton County Jail, facing charges of murder and providing false or fictitious information. He is currently being held on a bond set at $1,000,000.
