Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Police arrest owner of spa where tourist stabbed

Kenneth Stimpson

Kenneth Stimpson

Kenneth O. Stimpson, owner of a suspected clip joint where a tourist was stabbed early Sunday morning, was arrested Thursday on a racketeering count, Metro Police said.

At about 5 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a report of a stabbing at Red Devil Fitness Spa, 3430 Polaris Ave. A 25 year-old British tourist was discovered with multiple wounds to his abdomen and head, and he was transported to University Medical Center.

Stimpson holds the business license for Red Devil, according to the Nevada Secretary of State website, and he was booked on four felony charges, including fraud, racketeering and obtaining money under false pretenses, according to a Metro statement.

Metro Police said the spa was already the target of an investigation as a suspected clip joint before the stabbing.

In a clip joint scam, clients — often drug or alcohol-impaired tourists led to the establishment by taxi drivers — are charged a membership fee and led to believe that services include sex for pay, police said. Once the client realizes it is a scam and that they will receive nothing for their money, they are forced to leave, police said.

The tourist stabbed Sunday reportedly argued with the spa employees, throwing a water bottle at one of them, and demanded a refund of his membership fee, police said.

“The dispute became physical and the victim was stabbed by a person who works as security for the spa,” police said.

After the stabbing, five women and a man were arrested on counts of racketeering, fraud and conspiracy, police said.

Those arrested were Brooke Dugan, 21; Nicole Cramer, 34; Lyeishia Godfrey, 20; Hope Tello, 23; and James Watkins, 41. The females were portrayed as prostitutes, while Watkins acted as a security guard to protect the female employees, police said.

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