CRIME BEAT
Visiting couple beaten and robbed on the Las Vegas Strip
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We're taking a closer look at a group of men who police say have been viciously targeting visitors on the Las Vegas Strip. Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- This week's edition of Crime Beat features a group of men who police say have been viciously targeting visitors on the Las Vegas Strip.
It was the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Tourist Crimes Unit that busted the suspects, who they were already well-known by law enforcement.
Police say getting the men behind bars is a huge step in taking back the Strip from criminals who prey on tourists.
What was supposed to be a fun night on the Strip ended with a trip to the emergency room after a couple was violently attacked.
It happened at about 1:30 a.m. on a pedestrian bridge at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo.
"The male had a lot of contusions, large bumps to his head," Metro Detective Ben Rose said. "Said he had been beat multiple times with fists by a variety of individuals, and also got hit by a bottle."
His girlfriend, who was pregnant, was also pushed to the ground. The couple found out the next day they had lost their baby.
Detectives Rose and Brad Walford were behind the investigation to find the men who beat up the couple.
All of the suspects are in their mid-twenties with lengthy criminal records.
Police believe the group has been targeting tourists for a long time.
In this case, investigators say the suspects got away with the couple's money, laptop and other valuables.
Police caught them with the help of a taxi driver's surveillance camera, as well as victim and witness testimony.
"Our job is to protect the strip and that's why we work so tirelessly to make sure we got these individuals," Detective Rose said. "Not just for this case, but the other cases that they've done. So we hold these guys to justice so they can't do it again."
Police say many criminals target out-of-towners because the chance of them coming back to testify in court is rare.
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