Man accused of killing sex worker told police he choked her, report says
The man accused of killing a woman found in a hotel room told police he choked the victim, a sex worker, after she requested more money, according to an arrest report.
On June 12, police responded to Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center after a woman was found unresponsive at the Palms in the 4300 block of Flamingo Road and taken to the hospital.
She was the victim of a possible battery, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release, and died on June 21. On Monday, the Clark County coroner’s office identified her as Larissa Garcia, 30, of Las Vegas.
Police said Jason Kendall, 35, turned himself in at Metro headquarters on Friday. He faces charges of open murder, sexual assault, and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault.
Kendall initially called 911 around 5 p.m. June 12 to report an overdose, police said. He said he was no longer with the woman, but that she needed help. Palms security staff found her wearing only underwear and with a laceration on her left jawline, according to the report. A hospital toxicology screening did not show any drugs or alcohol in her system.
Police learned that Garcia had worked for an escort service, and after getting a search warrant, found that Kendall had viewed an escort ad and discussed with her where they’d meet at the Palms.
Initially, Kendall would not speak to police, the report said, although he allowed them to take a picture of “what appeared to be a new injury to his back and upper left shoulder.”
But on Friday, police said, Kendall went to Metro headquarters and said he needed to file a report because he’d assaulted someone. He confessed to a strangulation and sexual assault, police said.
In his statement, he said he’d negotiated terms for sex acts with Garcia and paid her $2,000. When she requested more money, he said he “snapped,” according to the report. He hit her in the face, choked her for 10 minutes and “had sex with her.” Then, he left.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.
