Army Veteran Surrenders Days After Sex Worker Dies in Alleged Assault Inside Vegas Hotel Room: Police
A man allegedly assaulted a sex worker and left her critically injured inside a Las Vegas hotel room, police said. She was later reported dead in a hospital.
35-year-old Jason Kendall, reportedly walked into LVMPD Headquarters on June 28, 2024, and turned himself on charges related to the assault of a woman in a hotel room, located in the 4300 block of West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department stated.
The woman in question was Larissa Garcia, 30, who used the aliases "Andrea" and "Dallas", and provided services as an escort, New York Post reported. Investigators allegedly found evidence in Kendall's search history that he had viewed Garcia's online advertisement.
Kendall, an army veteran, allegedly met Garcia in Palms Casino Resort's lobby around 4 p.m. on June 12. Then the duo made their way into a room. Kendall reportedly told investigators that he agreed to pay Garcia $2,000 to have sex with him, the outlet reported.
Legal documents detailing the case were accessed by 8News Now. "Jason said Larissa requested additional payment and he 'snapped,'" documents said. "He hit her in the face and ‘choked’ her for ‘ten minutes’ and ‘then had sex with her.’ After having sex with Larissa, Jason wrote he ‘drug her away from the door and left,'" the documents stated, 8News Now reported.
Kendall then allegedly informed the police about a woman overdosing at a hotel room in Palms, 8News Now reported. Hotel security was involved and they found Garcia on the floor with a cut to her jaw. Garcia was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Doctors in the hospital did not find any alcohol or drugs in Garcia's system, 8News Now reported. Hence, they ruled out the possibility of an overdose. Seeing her condition, doctors claimed that the woman was a victim of battery.
Six days after the incident, a nurse who specialized in sexual assault examinations reported to the authorities that the victim might have been strangled and "possibly suffocated," according to the documents.
On June 21, Garcia died in the hospital after being declared brain dead, 8News Now reported.
Video surveillance allegedly showed Garcia and Kendall meeting each other at the hotel's lobby, 8News Now reported. Police arranged a meeting with Kendall at a different hotel.
Though he met them, the suspect did not provide them with any information in the absence of an attorney. During the meeting, police allegedly noticed injuries on his back and shoulder, according to the documents.
On June 28, Kendall walked into the LVMPD headquarters to allegedly self-surrender. The officers booked him on charges of open murder, sexual assault, and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault, according to the document.
It is not clear whether Kendall knew that Garcia had died in the hospital before his apparent self-surrender.
Garcia was attending school and had two children, 8News Now reported. Kendall is an army veteran. He made his first court appearance on June 29 and was held without bail. His next appearance was on July 6.
A GoFundMe was set up for Garcia by an acquaintance named Dawn Brown. In the description Brown shares, "It is with a heavy heart that I share this devastating news of the sudden passing of Larissa. At just 30 years old, she was taken from us unexpectedly, leaving a void that can never be filled. She was a bright light in all of our lives, full of love and laughter."
All the proceeds from the fundraiser will go to Kristie, Garcia's mother, to cope with the funeral costs. Garcia's family and friends want to give her the "beautiful and dignified farewell she deserves" and therefore are asking for help, according to the fundraiser description.