Tag Archives: Crime Scene

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Missouri Motel Evacuated After “Meth Lab” Discovered In Room; Suspect Was “Cutting Up Batteries” Outside Door

“…on the second-floor of the motel, the officer saw a man sitting outside his hotel room cutting up batteries…the officer asked him what he was Hotel Meth Lab Risksdoing and, at the same time, noticed the door ajar and some fumes or vapors coming out of the door…(he) pushed the door open and a larger cloud of vapors came out…the man cutting the batteries had been cooking methamphetamine in his room, police say…”

A motel guest cutting up batteries outside his room stirred the suspicions of a Sunset Hills police officer, who uncovered a meth lab at the EconoLodge early today.

The officer, overcome by fumes, was taken to a hospital after complaining of being lightheaded. And all of the remaining motel guests in the entire east wing of the motel were evacuated by police and firefighters for about three hours early Thursday until the mobile meth lab was removed.

A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of drug manufacturing. “He was apparently trying to do this with the shake-and-bake method,” LeGrand said, referring to the mobile method of making the drug. “But he forgot some ingredient and, because of that, he decided to heat some of this mixture in the microwave.”

The guests who were evacauted from the hotel after midnight were allowed to return to their rooms at about 3 a.m. after the county’s drug unit removed the materials.

For more:  http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/meth-fumes-force-evacuation-of-sunset-hills-motel-police-officer/article_050e5fce-4812-5a5a-b6cd-3bbe86afe68b.html

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Missouri Motel Evacuated After “Meth Lab” Discovered In Room; Suspect Was “Cutting Up Batteries” Outside Door

Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Connecticut Hotel Manager Settles Multimillion Dollar “Wrongful Death Lawsuit”; Woman Murdered In Lobby By Intoxicated Man At Room Party

“…The former managers of a Stamford hotel agreed Friday to settle a multimillion dollar lawsuit brought against the hotel by the family of a 21-Hospitality Industry Wrongful Death Lawsuitsyear-old Greenwich woman stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend there nearly six years ago…the trial addressed a real important public safety issue — and that was hotel safety…”

Details of the settlement were sealed in a confidentiality agreement, but lawyers for the family of Layla Renee Banks appeared very happy as they left the Main Street courthouse. On Thursday they had asked a jury to return a verdict of $20 million for their clients.

In the late evening of Oct. 13, 2007, a group of teens and young adults from Greenwich, wanting to extend what began as a sweet 16 party at one of their homes, rented a room on the third floor of the five-story hotel. Alcohol use was rampant among the partygoers who swelled to about 100, court documents and police reports show.

By his own admission later to police, he had had about six drinks at the party when he confronted Banks. He wanted to know why she hadn’t returned his emails or phone calls. After they began arguing, Banks screamed for help, eventually fleeing from Botello and the party to the hotel’s lobby, court documents and police reports state.

In a darkened hallway off the lobby, Botello caught up with the young woman, reports state. He clamped his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming and in the ensuing struggle he threw her purse down the hall.

Banks began sobbing and crying for help as a hotel worker began vacuuming the end of the hallway, the reports state. Panicked, Botello later told police he pulled out a knife and began stabbing Banks over and over — some 90 times, the medical report states.

For more:  http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Hotel-murder-lawsuit-settled-4792732.php

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Connecticut Hotel Manager Settles Multimillion Dollar “Wrongful Death Lawsuit”; Woman Murdered In Lobby By Intoxicated Man At Room Party

Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Injuries, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Business Risks: Texas Hotel Loses Reservations After Gas Line Damaged By Woman In Stolen Vehicle; Thousands Of Dollars Lost As Property Was A “Crime Scene”

“…the gas company had to shut the gas off and hotel hot water boilers run on gas…(hotel) was without hot water for almost 12 hours and as a result lost 26 reservations…the woman who ran over the gas main will have business interruption insuranceto pay (hotel) back in restitution fees that could be assessed to her in court but that doesn’t mean it’s feasible…”

An Amarillo hotel is out thousands of dollars after it’s forced to shut off it’s gas while police investigate a crime scene on the property. Saturday, the Holiday Inn near I-40 and Ross had to shut off its gas after its gas main was run over by a woman who stole a van.

Normally, a business might turn to its insurance company for damages like these, but not in this case.

“According to our insurance company there was no liability for them because of the fact that it was a crime scene,” added Muse. “It if had been a gas company issue, a faulty main or something, then it would’ve been something we could go to out insurance company for.

“Most of the time, in order to collect stuff, they’ve got to be have the ability to pay for it. With fines, court costs, all of that, restitution, it’s a matter of do they have the ability to pay. So, assessing and collecting are two different things.”

Even if the defendant is able to pay, if they serve any time, probation or parole, it could be years before the person they owe sees any of that money.

“So, even if it’s assessed and could be collected, they could pay, it could be a long time before they actually pay it?” NewsChannel Ten asked Sims. “Correct,” he answered. “And, like I said, probation is like an interest free loan.”

“It looks like we’re just going to be eating the loss,” said Muse.

Muse says he’s fortunate his hotel is older and more established, otherwise this blow to the business’ wallet would’ve hurt them a lot worse.

For more:  http://www.newschannel10.com/story/20609001/crime-scene-investigation-costs-amarillo-hotel

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Business Risks: Texas Hotel Loses Reservations After Gas Line Damaged By Woman In Stolen Vehicle; Thousands Of Dollars Lost As Property Was A “Crime Scene”

Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Insurance, Liability, Management And Ownership

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Colorado Hotel Clerk "Doused With Lighter Fluid" By Robbery Suspect

A robber doused a hotel clerk with lighter fluid at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday and threatened to set the clerk on fire at the Clarion Hotel.

The hotel is in the 300 block of West Bijou Street. Police said the suspect entered the lobby and demanded cash.

He doused a hotel clerk with lighter fluid and threatened to set the clerk on fire. The robber grabbed money out of the cash drawer and fled on foot..

Police said they arrived shortly after and searched the area with K-9 units, but were not able to track him down.

For more:  http://www.krdo.com/news/31086470/detail.html

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Colorado Hotel Clerk "Doused With Lighter Fluid" By Robbery Suspect

Filed under Crime, Labor Issues, Management And Ownership, Theft

Hotel Industry Employee Risks: New York Hotel Employee Convicted Of Raping Guest And Civil Suit Seeks Damages For "Negligent Hiring, Supervision And Training"

A tourist filed a suit on Monday against a New York hotel where she was raped by an employee.

Her Manhattan federal court suit is seeking unspecified damages from the corporate parent company Surrey Hotel Associates for the allegedly negligent hiring, supervision and training of Jaime Marin Lopez Mendoza.

The victim’s holiday nightmare happened two days after Christmas in 2009. She was attacked at about 3am while sleeping in her room in the Dream Hotel on West 55th Street. He was convicted of first-degree rape in January and received a 15 year prison sentence.

Mendoza struck after helping the stumbling woman and her boyfriend into their room following a night of drinking, the New York Post reports. He ran off when she awoke to find him on top of her.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser described the attack as the ‘ultimate example of depravity,’ adding: ‘This crime was not only violent and calculated, but it was a master class in cowardice.’ The victim, who comes from Rhode Island, did not go to the sentencing but wrote a letter which was read out in court.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366522/Tourist-sues-New-Yorks-Dream-Hotel-employee-raped-her.html#ixzz1GiAlQ223

2 Comments

Filed under Claims, Crime, Guest Issues, Labor Issues, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hotel Industry Crime Risks: Missouri Hotel "Disruptive Party Room" Turns Into Multiple Murder Crime Scene

At 3:19 a.m., a caller told a dispatcher that there was a large group of people and a “disturbance” inside a second-floor room at the Red Roof Inn.

Authorities have identified the three men who were killed in a shooting early Saturday at a party inside a Northland hotel room. Investigators have not determined what prompted the shootings that occurred early Saturday at the Red Roof Inn near Interstate 435 at Missouri 210.

Joksimovic and Hamidovic died at the scene. Elizondo died early today at a hospital after he was taken off of life support.

Marcus Regan, Metro Squad spokesman, said it remained unclear what happened. There were about 15 people inside the second-floor hotel room. Something went wrong during the party and several gunshots were fired, Regan said.

Investigators continue to look for witnesses, he said. Relatives of Joksimovic declined to speak, but through a family interpreter, his mother said her son was a good kid. The family had moved to the area about two years ago. North Kansas City school officials said Joksimovic, who is of Serbian descent, attended North Kansas City High School and was on track to graduate this spring.

Authorities said that the party had been disruptive while in Independence. Twice their revelry had triggered noise complaints that attracted police.

Investigators did not immediately know what prompted the shootings. As the shots rang out, all three victims slumped inside the hotel room.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/27/2685550/third-victim-dies-in-northland.html##ixzz1FHB1zZ1Z

Comments Off on Hotel Industry Crime Risks: Missouri Hotel "Disruptive Party Room" Turns Into Multiple Murder Crime Scene

Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Injuries, Management And Ownership, Training