A man has allegedly confessed to strangling and then sexually assaulting a sex worker who died after being found inside a Las Vegas hotel room last month.
Larissa Garcia, 30, died on June 21 more than a week after the June 12 incident inside the Palms Casino Resort, documents said. Garcia used the names "Andrea" and "Dallas" in online escort advertisements, sources said.
On Friday afternoon, Jason Kendall, 35, surrendered to police at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Headquarters where officers booked him on charges of open murder, sexual assault and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault, documents said.
Kendall Told Police Garcia Had Overdosed but Doctors Didn't Find Drugs or Alcohol in Her System
On June 12, Kendall called police saying a woman was overdosing inside a hotel room at the Palms, documents said. Hotel security responded to the room, finding Garcia on the floor with a cut to her jaw. Police did not initially respond as Kendall indicated Garcia had overdosed.
At the hospital, doctors determined there was no alcohol or drugs in Garcia's blood and ruled out the possibility of an overdose. Doctors then suspected Garcia was the victim of a battery, documents said.
Video surveillance from the Palms shows Kendall meeting Garcia in the lobby around 4 p.m., documents said. About an hour later, video shows Kendall leaving the room and the hotel alone with no other person coming to the room or leaving until security arrived. Detectives later located messages between Kendall and Garcia and a web history of Kendall viewing Garcia's escort advertisement, documents said.
Garcia Had Been Strangled and 'Possibly Suffocated,' Declared Brain Dead
Police later met Kendall at a different hotel where he requested an attorney and declined to provide information. However, police noted Kendall had an injury to his back and shoulder.
On June 18, six days after the incident at the Palms, a nurse who specializes in sexual assault examinations noted Garcia had been strangled and "possibly suffocated," documents said. Garcia died at the hospital on June 21 after a doctor declared her brain dead.
Kendall Admitted to Paying $2K to Garcia for Sex, Assaulted Her After She Requested Additional Payment
On Friday, Kendall entered police headquarters to report an assault, documents said. In the report, Kendall "confessed to a strangulation and sexual assault," documents said. Kendall told police he paid Garcia $2,000 to have sex.
"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.' After leaving the hotel he called the police to report an overdose."
It was unclear from the documents at what point Kendall knew whether Garcia was deceased or if he knew at all before his self-surrender. Kendall made his first court appearance Saturday afternoon where a judge ordered him held without bail until his next court appearance, which was scheduled for Tuesday.
