A Las Vegas sex worker was brutally murdered during a $2,000 hotel encounter with an Army Veteran client who allegedly “snapped” and strangled her, according to police.
Larissa Garcia, a 30-year-old mother, met her tragic end at the Palms Resort on June 12, with suspect Jason Kendall, 35, handing himself over to the police on June 28. Newly released police reports have revealed more shocking details about the incident.
The document, viewed by 8NewsNow, said: “Jason said Larissa requested additional payment and he ‘snapped’. He hit her in the face and ‘choked’ her for ‘ten minutes’ and ‘then had sex with her.’ After having sex with Larissa, Jason said he ‘drug her away from the door and left.’ After leaving the hotel he called the police to report an overdose.
Suspect Jason Kendall, 35, turned himself into cops June 28 (
Image: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Kendall is reported to have confessed to choking Garcia on June 12. He is currently being held in custody without bail, facing charges of open murder, sexual assault, and battery.
An anonymous caller, not yet identified as Kendall, dialed 911 to report an overdose inside a hotel room. Security responded to the call and discovered Garcia on the floor with a cut on her jaw. First responders initially believed Garcia was overdosing, so Metro police were not immediately summoned to the scene.
Larissa Garcia, a 30 year-old mother, died in hospital after meeting the army veteran (
Image: GoFundMe)
Paramedics rushed Garcia to Spring Valley Hospital. Doctors found no traces of alcohol or drugs in her blood, instantly ruling out overdose as a potential cause of death. Instead, doctors suspected Garcia was a victim of battery based on her sustained injuries.
“Upon further inspection… it looks like she was assaulted,” the nurse told the dispatcher about 15 minutes after Garcia arrived at the hospital. “We thought it was an overdose, but she is not responding to Narcan or any of those drugs.” The dispatcher asked the nurse: “Do we have any suspect information at all?”
Police say Ms Garcia was murdered during a $2,000 hotel sex session (
Image: Facebook)
“No, no one was there, and like I said, it was an unknown caller, an anonymous caller,” the nurse said. Garcia was declared brain dead and died at the hospital one week after the incident at the Palms.
Police found out that the room reservation was placed by Kendall. They then met the suspect at a different hotel, where he declined to provide information without the presence of an attorney.
Six days after the initial incident at the Palms, a nurse specializing in sexual assault trauma reported that Garcia had been strangled and “possibly suffocated.” Surveillance footage from the Palms shows Kendall meeting Garcia in the lobby around 4pm. An hour later, Kendall is seen leaving the hotel alone.
Police say the suspect ‘snapped’ before killing Ms Garcia (
Image: Facebook)
Detectives later located messages between Kendall and Garcia and a web history of Kendall viewing Garcia’s escort advertisement, documents said. Garcia was a single mother of two, her friends told 8News. In a GoFundMe organized by her friends, she is described as “a bright light in all of our lives, full of love and laughter.”
It added: “We want to make sure that Larissa has the beautiful and dignified farewell she deserves. One that reflects the love and joy she brought to the world.” Kendall, an Army veteran, was identified by a source close to 8NewsNow. The accused made his initial court appearance on Saturday afternoon.
He was remanded in custody without bail until his next scheduled court date on Tuesday. Kristie Pike, Garcia’s mother, shared a photo of herself with Garcia as a baby, along with another image of Garcia as a toddler. The post was inundated with messages of love and support, with many referring to Garcia as an angel.
