The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has identified the suspect who fatally hit a nail salon worker with a car after leaving without paying for a $35 manicure.
Detectives identified Krystal Whipple, 21, as the client who struck Ngoc Q. Nguyen with a car, dragging the mother of three roughly 50 feet on Dec. 29, according to police.
Police have released a prior booking photo from April, calling on the public to help authorities find Whipple.
Lt. Ray Spencer of the police department said in a video posted to YouTube on Thursday that Whipple had attempted to use a fraudulent credit card to pay for her manicure. When the card failed, Whipple claimed to be going to her car to grab money but instead tried to leave the area.
Nguyen and her partner, Sonny Chung, who is also the fellow manager of the Las Vegas salon, reportedly ran after Whipple. Nguyen ran out in front of the vehicle while Chung held on to the back, attempting to stop car from moving. But the customer continued to drive, intentionally striking Nguyen.
According to ABC News, the suspect had been driving a black Chevrolet Camaro rental car. The car had been previously reported stolen and was discovered, ditched in a nearby housing complex.
“It made me realize how dependent we are on her. Even today, we’re all older, we’re all adults, and we all depend on her,” Anne Trinh, Nguyen’s daughter, told the Las Vegas Sun of her mother’s death. “Now that she’s gone, we have to step it up.”