Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Saudi air force sergeant charged with raping boy on New Year’s Eve in Strip hotel

Updated Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 | 5:14 p.m.

Click to enlarge photo

Mazen Alotaibi

Map of Circus Circus

Circus Circus

2880 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas

A Saudi Arabia air force sergeant has been charged with raping a teenage boy who was visiting the Las Vegas Strip on New Year's Eve.

Metro Police were called Monday morning to Circus Circus by hotel security, according to Lt. Dan McGrath with Metro's sexual assault unit.

A 13-year-old boy, who was a guest at the hotel, had been walking down a hallway sometime after 8 a.m. when Mazen Alotaibi — a sergeant of the Saudi Arabian air force who was visiting Las Vegas on holiday — made contact and forced the boy into his room, McGrath said.

"This juvenile was not a family member and had no connection (with the suspect) before then," McGrath said. "It was a random contact."

After a police investigation, Alotaibi was charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of sexual assault with a minor under 14 years of age, burglary and sexually motivated coercion, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Clark County District Attorney's Office in Las Vegas Justice Court.

"It's a substantial and strong case," McGrath said. "The evidence is more than probable cause. It's not questionable."

Alotaibi had been temporarily stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, officials said.

Alotaibi is being detained at the Clark County Detention Center in a facility segregated from the general jail population. There are no immediate plans to deport him, an official said.

A preliminary hearing for Alotaibi is scheduled for Jan. 17 in Las Vegas Justice Court.

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