Tennessee
Tennessee woman on road trip with boyfriend goes missing in case with Gabby Petito similarities
A Tennessee woman has gone missing after heading out on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend several weeks ago — in a case that shares some eerie similarities with the high profile 2021 disappearance of Long Island native Gabby Petito.
Nikki Alcaraz, 33, who is also known as Nikki Cunningham, set off from Nashville with her boyfriend Tyler Stratton and their dog in her Jeep, in early May to visit family in Orange County, California, her sister Toni Alcaraz told local outlet KNRN-TV Sunday.
Nikki last communicated with Toni over text on May 8, telling her she was in Arizona and planned to complete the trip, according to the report.
“Then I didn’t hear anything else after that Monday morning,” Toni told the outlet. “I talk to her almost every day, so I am scared something happened to them.”
The couple had a run-in with cops on May 4 in Torrance County, New Mexico.
A witness saw Stratton punch Alcaraz in the face, a Torrance County Sheriff’s Office police report said, according to the article.
But Stratton, who had blood coming from his mouth and nose, told officers he had been attacked by her, the report said.
Neither wanted to press charges and authorities said they were each given rides to different places, according to the outlet.
Stratton had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly violating his probation in connection with an unrelated theft charge at the time, but was not busted, the report said.
Alcaraz then called her sister, “crying and upset,” Toni told the outlet.
“Her eye was already turning black and you could tell she was beat up pretty bad,” Toni told the station of the phone call the two shared after the incident.
A family friend drove to New Mexico to bring Alcaraz to California but, “That morning when they were supposed to leave, she told him that she had to go back and find Tyler because she had a bad feeling, and so he left without her,” her sister said.
She believes that friend was the last person to see Alcaraz on May 6.
The sisters communicated by text two days later, which is when Alcaraz, a mom of two, said she was in Arizona and intended to complete the trip.
Alcaraz and Stratton’s phones have been turned off, leaving Toni to fear the worst for her sister.
“I am scared something happened to them, whether they got in another fight or if they crashed her Jeep somewhere,” she told the outlet.
The couple’s mid-trip run-in with law enforcement is one resemblances to the case of Petito, the 22-year-old travel blogger who went missing in August 2021 while on a cross-country trek with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie.
Petitio and Laundrie were also stopped by police after a domestic incident in Utah, where cops concluded the pair had attacked each other and let them go without charges.
Two months later, Petito’s strangled body was found at a Wyoming campground.
Laundrie then drove to his parent’s Florida home as public scrutiny mounted. He eventually committed suicide amid a manhunt.
Petitio’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police Department, claiming cops should have detained Laundrie and not let the couple go on their way.
Toni Alcaraz said she is “praying” that her sister is alive and well.
“I don’t think she is dead out there somewhere, but it’s all a possibility at this point, and I am really scared of that, but I’m praying that’s not the case,” she told the outlet.
A missing persons report was filed in New Mexico where Nikki Alcaraz was last seen, according to the article.
Her 2013 Jeep Wrangler with Tennessee license plate number BGL3539, a “Mama Tried” sticker and camo seats was last picked up by a license plate reader near Flagstaff, AZ on May 9, the report said.
Alcaraz is 5-foot, 6-inches tall and heavily tattooed with brown eyes and dark colored hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call Moriarty, NM police at 505-832-6060 or 505-834-2705.
In this image taken from June 8, 2025, video by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office in Rutherford County, Tennessee, shows the airlifting of a zebra named Ed that had evaded capture for several days after it ran away from its owner.
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office/AP
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Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office/AP
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee and became an internet sensation in the process was captured Sunday, authorities said.
Ed the Zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The sheriff’s office said aviation crews captured the zebra.
“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Video posted by the sheriff’s office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he is carried by the helicopter to the trailer.
Ed arrived in Christiana on May 30, the sheriff’s office said. His owner reported him missing the next day.
The zebra was spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24, forcing deputies to shut the roadway. But Ed escaped into a wooded area.
There were several sightings posted to social media. Ed was filmed trotting through a neighborhood.
The zebra quickly became the subject of internet memes. One fake posting showed Ed dining at a Waffle House, a southern staple. Others had him visiting other Tennessee cities or panhandling on the side of the road.
The pursuit of Ed came a month after a runway kangaroo shut down a section of Alabama interstate.
Tennessee
What channel is Tennessee baseball vs Arkansas on today? Time, TV schedule for Fayetteville Super Regional Game 2
Tennessee baseball can extend its season with a win in Game 2 of the Fayetteville Super Regional against Arkansas on June 8.
The Vols (46-18) managed just two hits in the Game 1 loss, 4-3 to the Razorbacks on June 7. But ace Liam Doyle is the probable starting pitcher for Game 2.
Arkansas (47-13) put together 10 hits in Game 1, including a two-run home run by Ryder Helfrick to take the lead in fifth inning.
If the Razorbacks win, they will advance to the College World Series in Omaha next weekend. If the Vols win, Tennessee and Arkansas will play a deciding Game 3 on June 9 with time yet to be announced.
Here’s how you can watch Tennessee baseball vs. Arkansas Game 2 in the Fayetteville Super Regional:
Tennessee vs. Arkansas on Sunday will be televised by ESPN. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
- Game time: 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 8
- Location: Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas
All games at Baum-Walker Stadium; best-of-three format
- Game 1: Saturday, June 7, 5 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 2: Sunday, June 8, 3 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 3 (if necessary): Monday, June 9, TBD
The Tennessee Volunteers are set to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in game one of the Fayetteville Super Regional.
Tennessee’s road to repeating as national champs continues on Saturday as they will take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in game one of the Fayetteville Super Regional. The two teams faced off in the regular season and Arkansas took the series. Tennessee won the first game but the Razorbacks won the next two games to take the series.
The two teams will play in a best of three series. The winner will move on to play in Omaha in the College World Series.
The Vols will be looking to end their recent struggles against the Razorbacks this weekend. UT’s last series win against Arkansas came in 2005 while its last series win in Fayetteville was back in 2001.
This weekend will mark the seventh super regional for Tennessee in program history. The Vols have won five of their previous six supers and have posted an 11-4 overall record in those six appearances. After winning the 2025 Knoxville Regional last week, UT is now 26-6 all-time in NCAA regional games played at Lindsey Nelson Stadium and 31-9 overall in NCAA postseason games at home.
First pitch is set for 5 PM ET and will be broadcasted on ESPN for those who want to watch.
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