Hearing delayed for man charged with sexually assaulting Strip hotel maid

By Conor Shine

Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 | 12:28 p.m.

A preliminary hearing for a man charged with sexually assaulting a maid at a Strip hotel in November was delayed Monday to allow more time for attorneys to gather evidence.

David Ferren, 19, appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on Monday morning before Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan for what was scheduled to be a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to bind his case over to Clark County District Court.

But Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Luzaich said there was still a need for more discovery of evidence.

“There’s an abundance of discovery and we’re asking to continue the case,” Luzaich said.

A new preliminary hearing was scheduled for Jan. 25.

Ferren was arrested several days after the attack was reported early in the morning Nov. 1 at Bally’s casino, according to an arrest report.

The 65-year-old victim told detectives a man punched her in the face before sexually assaulting her inside a hotel room, which she had entered to clean, the arrest report said.

A witness said she saw the victim, her face covered with blood, quickly exit a room where a naked man appeared to be getting dressed, police noted in the report.

Another maid said a white man with facial hair left the hallway through an emergency door, despite her attempt to stop him, the police report said.

Her description of his clothing matched that of a man recorded earlier by surveillance cameras riding in an elevator who got off on the 59th floor, where the attack occurred, police said.

While reviewing surveillance video, police observed the man crossing the bridge to the Bellagio shortly after the reported attack. He proceeded west on Flamingo Road on the highway overpass before entering the Rio Hotel and Casino, according to the arrest report.

After police released surveillance video images, Ferren and a family member showed up at Metro’s records department to “clear up some information,” the report states.

Ferren admitted he was the man in the images but told detectives he had nothing to do with the sexual assault, police said.

Detectives, meanwhile, served a search warrant at his brother’s house, where Ferren had been living, police said.

Detectives found two items of clothing with bloodstains, according to the arrest report.

Based on the evidence, detectives arrested Ferren on four counts of sexual assault of a victim over 65, battery with intent to commit a sexual assault, sexually motivated coercion-force and burglary, police said.

Authorities said Ferren did not have a local arrest record. He is being held in the Clark County Detention Center without bail, according to jail records.