Police: Man kidnapped at gunpoint on Las Vegas Strip, robbed

By Tiffany Gibson

Published Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010 | 9:30 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010 | 4:17 p.m.

Metro Police on Wednesday said a man reported that he was kidnapped on a Las Vegas Strip pedestrian bridge, held captive for more than 24 hours and robbed.

Police Lt. Clint Nichols said a wealthy, 40-year-old businessman who frequently visits Las Vegas was abducted about 5 a.m. Friday when returning to his hotel room at Caesars Palace. The investigation is in its early stages, but police described it as an isolated incident. (Police initially reported the incident occurred Saturday morning, but announced during an afternoon news conference that the victim was abducted Friday morning.)

“Las Vegas has a reputation and we want people to come here and have a good time, but sometimes that can get you in trouble,” he said.

Nichols said the victim was confronted by a man who asked for money on a pedestrian bridge at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road. The victim gave the man money and turned to leave, but then was held at gunpoint by the man and a woman, police said.

The two then forced the man to get into the backseat of their vehicle, described as an older four-door sedan, parked nearby. Nichols said police haven’t been able to determine the car's location because the victim was drunk during the incident.

He said the man was taken to a two-story apartment complex with a flat roof, where he was confronted by two other people and placed in an empty room.

“Our victim, while being kept in the residence for over 24 hours, was beaten and battered,” Nichols said. “He had his wallet, some jewelry, all of his ATM cards taken, along with his room key.”

The suspects withdrew money from the man's bank account, police said, then wanted him to open casino lines of credit and give them money. Investigators said two suspects also raided his hotel room and were recorded by a Caesars Palace surveillance camera.

Police released photos of the two people suspected in the robbery after interviewing the victim’s partner, who told police he thought the victim had removed the items from the room.

The victim told police he passed out while being beaten and awakened to find himself covered up in the backseat of a car, Nichols said. The victim escaped from captivity after the suspects got into an argument over what to do with the man, police said.

When two of the suspects got out of the car the man was able to escape, police said, and he ran toward a desert area and hid in a culvert. The suspects looked for the man but left after a short period of time.

Police said the man walked to a convenience store near Russell Road and Polaris Avenue and called 911 about 8 a.m. Saturday. Paramedics treated the man’s bruises and released him, Nichols said.

Police are looking for four suspects tied to the incident. Nichols said they could face charges of kidnapping and robbery with a deadly weapon.

The man who approached the victim on the pedestrian bridge was described as black, 45 to 50 years old and 5-foot-11 with a medium build and a gray beard, wearing a white hat and glasses. The woman was described as black, 22 to 27 years old and 5-foot-5 with a medium build and short hair dyed red in the front.

The man in a photo released by police who is suspected of robbing the victim's hotel room was described as black, 27 to 33 years old and 6-foot-2 with a medium build, bald and well-dressed. The woman in the photo was described as black, 37 to 44 years old and 5-foot-11 with a heavy build, long black hair and well-dressed.

Anyone with information is being asked to call the Metro Police robbery section at 702-828-3591.