SOUTH HEMPSTEAD, Nassau County (PIX11) — The man who police said killed a woman, stripped her, and left her naked body behind a dumpster on Valentine’s Day was being held without bail on Friday on second-degree murder charges.

Andrew David Avila, 25, is accused of killing Rebecca Carlson, 39, a mother who lived with her children in Hempstead, according to police. Authorities were called around 7:40 a.m. on Valentine’s Day to a retail parking lot, where Carlson’s body was found behind the store’s dumpster. 

Much earlier that morning, Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick, the commander of the Nassau County Homicide Squad, said Avila and Carlson had connected on a dating website.

“They agreed to meet, and Andrew picked her up in his auto,” Capt. Fitzpatrick said.

After the two got together, they had a sexual encounter for money in Hempstead, according to investigators. Afterward, they went to a location about 4 miles away in Mineola. They’d had arranged to have another encounter there, according to Fitzpatrick. 

“What [Avila] originally agreed to, he pushed it a little further. When she objected, wanting a little more money, and he didn’t have any more money, it became physical,” Fitzpatrick said. “He became more aggressive and choked her until she died.”

With Carlson’s lifeless body in his car, Avila allegedly drove 5 miles to South Hempstead, where he left her naked body behind the dumpster, investigators said.

“He went home for a while before going to work,” said the homicide unit commander.

Avila was a day laborer, according to police. They said that the details behind the killing were tragic. 

“Here’s a girl that had a family, has children, got into controlled substance abuse,” Fitzpatrick said. “She had an addiction. She had to supplement that problem and resorted to this type of behavior. She ended up with the wrong person.”

Avila has no prior arrest record, according to detectives. 

Despite that, they added, this case is a reminder that their investigation has not ended with Avila’s arrest and arraignment. 

“We are definitely seeing if there were other girls he may have been aggressive with,” said Fitzpatrick. 

Anyone with information is urged to call the police.