Rape suspect found victim’s room key on casino floor, police say

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metro police

Donovan Fox

Fri, Feb 7, 2020 (8:45 p.m.)

The suspect only spent a few minutes inside the Las Vegas Strip property before he stumbled upon a hotel-room key, dropped by an unsuspecting victim on the casino floor. Soon, he would enter her room and rape her while she slept, according to Metro Police.

The victim first thought she was dreaming but opened her eyes to see a stranger on top of her. Less than 24 hours later, that stranger, Donovan Daray Fox, 27, of Las Vegas, was in police custody with the help of facial-recognition technology.

The alleged crime unfolded in the early hours Sunday at the Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

The victim was in town with her husband and friends. After spending time at the casino, the woman decided to retire to her 25th-floor room alone, according to Fox’s declaration of arrest.  

However, before she did, she accidentally dropped one of the keys to the room, where Fox allegedly picked it up at 2:41 a.m., five minutes after he walked into the casino.

Two minutes later, he followed two women to the 14th floor, where he committed a lewd act on himself outside a room. A camera caught him.

Police allege he then took the elevator up to the victim’s room. The small envelope containing the key had her room number written on it.

He peeked underneath her door at then entered the room. He was later caught on video leaving the room, police said.

The victim told police that once she realized she was being raped, she spooked the man by telling him her husband was on the way up. A medical examination showed she’d been sexually assaulted, police said.

The arrest report doesn’t expound on how Fox was identified, but Metro this week said they’d used facial-recognition technology.

Either way, detectives paid Fox a visit at his home, near Boulder Highway and Tropicana Avenue. He told them that he’d met the victim earlier in the night, that she had worn revealing clothes, and that they discussed having sex.

He initially claimed the contact was consensual, but his alibi began to crumble. Detectives learned — and he admitted — that the pair had never met and that the sex was not consensual.

He’d recorded the woman inside her room and the video clearly showed she was sleeping, police said.

Fox is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on one count each of sex assault, burglary and open and gross lewdness, jail logs show.

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