Authorities believe they have captured the man who strangled a 22-year-old woman earlier this month and dumped her naked body in a hallway on the 25th floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel.

Las Vegas police announced Wednesday that 39-year-old James David Flansburg had been arrested at his home in Santa Ana, Calif., in connection with the March 3 killing.

Investigators linked Flansburg to the death of Bridget Gray after watching video surveillance showing the pair walking together inside Mandalay Bay casino at 2:19 a.m. on March 3 and taking an elevator to the 25th floor, according to a murder warrant for Flansburg filed in Las Vegas Justice Court. Detectives said in the warrant that Flansburg, in town for a business seminar, had booked a room on the 25th floor.

"Detectives believe that the victim entered the room with James Flansburg for the purpose of engaging in sex for money," police said in the warrant, adding that one of Gray's friends described her as a prostitute who frequented hotel bars and worked without a pimp. "A struggle ensued and James Flansburg compressed the victim's neck and asphyxiated her, causing her death."

Police say the body of Gray, a San Franciscan who died on her birthday, was dragged into a hallway about 10 feet from Flansburg's room.

Another hotel guest happened upon the body about 3:32 a.m. on March 3 and originally mistook it for a mannequin until closer inspection, police said.

Gray's "purse had been emptied out beside her, but contained no money," police said.

Over the next few hours, detectives questioned hotel guests on the 25th floor for clues about Gray's death. Flansburg was among those interrogated.

"Flansburg told detectives that he had not heard or seen anything and gave detectives his name and date of birth," police said in the warrant.

Flansburg checked out of his room about 8 a.m. on March 3, roughly an hour after being questioned.

Police said videotape surveillance revealed that the victim was holding a goblet-type glass and wore a small woman's jacket and high-heeled shoes. They said they found what appeared to be the same items inside Room 25223, the one rented by Flansburg.

"During a search of 25223, a pair of black high heels and a small women's jacket were found in the box springs portion of the bed," police wrote in the warrant.

A goblet was in the sink.

DNA results of fingerprints sampled on the glass and a window were unavailable Wednesday.

Police said video surveillance shows a white man matching Flansburg's description walking to an ATM machine at the casino about 2:19 a.m. Police said they reviewed transactions on the same machine and determined that Flansburg was the person who used the ATM.

Police Sgt. Russ Shoemaker gave no motive for the slaying and did not know whether Flansburg intends to fight extradition to Las Vegas.