Sometimes you just have to shake your head and wonder how we got to this place in our world. This is a story of a manicurist who was killed by an angry customer
Police in Las Vegas are searching for a woman who they believe hit and killed a nail salon employee with her car after refusing to pay for a manicure on Saturday.
A GoFundMe campaign for Nhu "Annie" Ngoc Quynh Nguyen has raised more than $16,000 to help cover funeral expenses. The page describes her as “a dutiful mother who always put her children first before herself" and worked tirelessly to support her family, including her three daughters.
Police said the suspect got a manicure at a salon about a mile-and-a-half from the Las Vegas Strip, but her credit card was declined when she went to pay. The woman told salon workers she would go to her car and return with another form of payment, but then tried to drive away, according to Lt. Ray Spencer.
The manicurist ran in front of the car to prevent the woman from driving off, but “the suspect did not stop and struck the victim with the car,” a police press release stated. Nguyen was then taken to a hospital, where she died.
The Clark County Coroner's Office found that the 51-year-old was killed by multiple blunt-force injuries. Her death is being investigated as a homicide.
The suspect was driving a rental car that had been stolen three weeks ago, Spencer said. The car was found abandoned at a nearby apartment complex. Investigators don't believe the person who rented the car was connected to the crime and were reviewing surveillance video to try to identify the woman.
Family gathered for a memorial on Sunday outside the nail salon, which Nguyen ran with her longtime partner Sonny Chung, KVVU-TV reported.
Chung told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he tried to hold on to the back of the car before the suspect managed to flee the parking lot.
“But I'm not Superman,” he said. “She ran off for $35 and killed my wife — $35 to run my wife over.”
On the GoFundMe page, Nguyen’s family thanked all those who have reached out to support them.
“Our whole family sincerely is in gratitude and greatly appreciate all of the generous offerings and words of support that was sent our way," the page reads. "Mom, do you see how much you are loved?"