Krystal Whipple Has Been Arrested for Allegedly Killing Her Manicurist
Things took an unexpected and deadly turn for 51-year-old Nhu “Annie” Ngoc Quynh Nguyen when Krystal Whipple walked in for a manicure at her salon, Crystal Nails and Spa, in Las Vegas on December 29, 2018. At the end of the service, Whipple produced a credit card to pay her $35 bill but the card was declined.
According to a report from BuzzFeed News, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department revealed that Whipple claimed she had cash in her car and needed to go outside to retrieve it. Upon hearing this, Nguyen — a mother of three — followed the customer to ensure that she would make the payment.
In a surveillance video posted to YouTube by the police department, Nguyen can be seen trying to stop Whipple’s car by putting her hands on the hood of the vehicle. However, this action did little to stop the delinquent customer and Whipple allegedly sped off, running Nguyen over in the process. The car dragged Nguyen and her longtime partner, Sonny Chung, who also got involved in the altercation and was holding onto the back of the car, as Whipple tried to make her getaway.
Nguyen was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
According to the report, the Clark County Coroner’s Office stated that Nguyen’s death was caused by multiple blunt-force injuries. Chung described Nguyen as a “hard worker” while talking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“I tried to hold the car back, but I’m not Superman. She ran off for $35 and killed my wife — $35 to run my wife over,” he said.
Whipple was identified as a suspect in Nguyen’s death on January 4 and arrested on January 11, according to a tweet from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
*CAPTURED* Krystal Whipple, suspected of fatally running over a nail salon worker on December 29, 2018, was located and arrested earlier this morning in Glendale, Arizona. #LVMPDnews pic.twitter.com/lgQLBMoL3n
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) January 11, 2019
After police identified Whipple as a suspect, her mother appeared on ABC News to encourage her daughter to turn herself into the police.
“You can’t run, baby. You cannot run. You have to come forward, baby,” she said.
It was also revealed that the car Whipple was driving was stolen, and this isn’t the first time she has been caught stealing cars. In May 2018, she was sentenced to four months in jail for violating her probation after a previous attempt of car theft.
Whipple is currently in police custody awaiting charges.
A GoFundMe page has been created to assist with Nguyen’s funeral expenses. It describes her as “dutiful mother who always put her children first.” The page also notes that Nguyen worked countless hours to send her daughters to college. She was also financially supporting her mother, siblings, and grandkids. Since its creation, the page has surpassed its $10,000 goal and now sits at over $37,000.
“‘Annie’ Quynh Nhu soul can finally rest. She has been cremated and will be staying at a cemetery with her dad and son. Even though we all miss her a lot, she is in a better place now and will be able to take her deserved break,” the latest update on the page read.
