Sylvie Cachay Death: Fashion Designer Dead in Bathtub of Posh NYC Hotel
NEW YORK (CBS/AP) A woman found dead in a posh New York City hotel room has been identified as fashion designer Sylvie Cachay, who had an upscale swimsuit line.
Cachay, 33, was found in a Soho House room after police received a call from the Manhattan hotel at about 3 a.m., police
said. Water had been leaking from a ceiling, and hotel staff went to the floor above, where they found Cachay, dressed in a thin black sweater and underwear, submerged face up in the 6 1/2-foot oval tub.
A law enforcement official says police are questioning her boyfriend, Nicholas Brooks, the 24-year-old son of Academy Award-winning songwriter Joseph Brooks. The official says the younger Brooks wasn't at the Soho House hotel room when police arrived but he returned a few hours later.
Police discovered Cachay's body after they received a 911 call from the hotel. Water had been leaking from a ceiling and hotel staff went to the floor above, where they found the woman, dressed in a sweater and underwear, submerged in the tub.
Prescription drugs were found in the room, but the pills were in the bottle, and the woman had some small red marks on her neck, police said. The room was not in disarray, and no illegal drugs were found.
Cachay, who didn't live with Brooks, may have checked into the hotel after a fire in her West Village apartment.
The medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death. The younger Brooks has not been charged with a crime.
In an unrelated case, the father, Joseph Brooks, is fighting charges that accuse him of molesting would-be actresses in his Manhattan apartment.
Cachay created a women's swimsuit collection called Syla using high-end fabrics and bright, bold patterns and colors. The suits retailed for $200 to $400 each, but she lost her backing and had to fold after the economy collapsed, according to her former publicist Kate Godici.
The Soho House, which contains a hotel and a private club, is located on Manhattan's West side in a neighborhood frequented by stars and the city's elite. Its website says it has 24 rooms that offer guests "a unique combination of luxury and style" and that card-carrying members have to be verified at the front desk.
The unassuming tan brick building has no sign advertising the hotel's existence, but the rich and famous flock to the lush interior. Countless fancy parties have brought many celebrities through the doors. Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber and soccer star David Beckham and wife Victoria have all stayed there.
Sylvie Cachay was a member, which meant she could use the pool and got discounts on rooms, police said.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF SYLVIE CACHAY ON CRIMESIDER
