Woman Who Killed Vietnamese Nail Salon Owner Over $35 Bill Arrested in Arizona
By Khier Casino
Krystal Whipple, who is suspected of hitting and killing nail salon owner Ngoc Q. Nguyen with her car after refusing to pay for a manicure, was arrested on Friday in Glendale, Arizona, officials say.
The 21-year-old woman allegedly tried to pay for a $35 manicure at Crystal Nails and Spa in Las Vegas with a fraudulent credit card on December 29, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Witnesses say the suspect left after her credit card was declined and drove off from the nail salon without paying for her manicure.
Surveillance video shows Whipple leaving the salon and getting into her car. She was immediately followed by 51-year-old Nguyen, her husband and another salon employee.
“The victim ran in front of the suspect’s car. The suspect did not stop and struck the victim with the car,” a statement from the police department said, according to ABC News.
Nguyen later died at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada.
The suspect reportedly abandoned the stolen black Chevrolet Camaro at a nearby apartment complex.
A civilian spotted and recognized Whipple in Arizona and called authorities.
Whipple was taken into custody without incident by the FBI Phoenix Violent Crime Task Force, ABC7 Chicago reported.
She has a criminal history, including being convicted in 2017 of attempted possession of a stolen vehicle, according to Clark County District Court records. She was given four months in jail in 2018 for violating probation in the same case.
Nguyen is survived by three daughters who are in their 20s and two grandchildren, aged 4 and 6.
More than $35,000 has been donated to Nguyen’s family, which set up a GoFundMe page on her behalf to pay for her funeral expense.
Whipple’s mother and grandmother both went on national TV following the incident begging for Whipple to turn herself in. They told ABC News after the arrest on Friday that they were very relieved.
Images via YouTube / Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
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