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Police say fire inside Strip hotel room linked to sexual assault

Updated February 5, 2020 - 3:57 pm

Las Vegas police say a sexual assault and hotel fire Wednesday morning at the Excalibur are connected.

One person was reported injured during the assault and fire. Police did not say the extent to which the two crimes were linked, only saying they found a woman who had been sexually assaulted inside a room where the fire occurred.

“As of now, the suspect is outstanding,” Las Vegas police Capt. Dori Koren told reporters Wednesday afternoon. He did not offer a description of any suspect.

Clark County Fire Department Deputy Chief Jeff Buchanan said at 11:32 a.m. firefighters were called to the property at 3850 Las Vegas Blvd. South at Tropicana Avenue for a report of a fire. When firefighters arrived they were directed to the location of the fire on the sixth floor.

“Firefighters went to room 6152 where there was a sprinkler activation and found a mattress that was on fire,” Buchanan said in an email. “Crews quickly extinguished the fire.”

Buchanan said the Fire Department was working with hotel engineers to ventilate smoke from the floor. He said one person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but it was not known if the person would need further medical treatment.

Police were at the scene as the Fire Department worked to investigate a cause.

Buchanan said no evacuations were necessary.

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.

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