Tourists Give Las Vegas Showgirls a $20 Tip, Leading to a Big Brawl
Two tourists visiting Las Vegas gave a group of women dressed as showgirls $20 for some pictures. Not long afterward, police were responding to a fight outside Planet Hollywood on the Strip.
The incident happened September 30, when a couple from North Carolina encountered three women wearing feathered costumes. According to an arrest report reviewed by FOX5 Las Vegas, the visitors agreed to take photos with them in exchange for a tip.
After handing over $20, the tourists started walking away. One of the women followed them and demanded between $60 and $180 instead, according to the police account.
The encounter ended in a fight that was caught on video and published by TMZ on October 2. A shirtless man and a woman wearing enormous feathered headdresses can be seen fighting near an escalator.
One Woman Used Her High Heel During the Fight
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One of the women, identified as Jennifer Ortiz, was accused of repeatedly hitting the male tourist. At some point, Ortiz removed one of her white high-heeled boots. She then struck the man in the forehead with it, leaving a cut nearly two inches long, according to the report.
Police also looked at surveillance footage from the area. The man was struck more than 22 times during the fight, the report stated. His companion tried to help him, but she ended up getting attacked herself. She told police another woman, Magdellena Romero, tackled her, pulled her hair and punched her in the face and head.
A third woman wearing a showgirl costume was also there. Police said she tried to stop the fight, and the tourists didn’t want charges filed against her. Both visitors were treated at the scene but didn’t go to the hospital. They later gave police written statements and asked that charges be filed.
Another Tourist Reported a $218 Photo Charge
Police also heard from a different man who said he’d been charged more than he agreed to pay for pictures. His complaint involved Ortiz and the same location on the Strip.
He told police the agreed price was $60, which he paid by tapping his debit card against Ortiz’s phone. The charge ended up being $218 instead. When he questioned the amount, the woman gave him a phone number to help resolve the issue. He said the number was fake and also asked police to pursue charges.
Ortiz and Romero were both arrested and taken to the Clark County Detention Center. Ortiz was booked on suspicion of battery and obtaining money under false pretenses involving less than $1,200, while Romero was booked on suspicion of battery.
The two women also had their own accounts of the fight. Ortiz told police the male tourist hit her first, and Romero said she got involved after seeing her friend being attacked. FOX5 reported that both women were due back in court for a status check on December 3.
