Oklahoma man arrested in Las Vegas, accused of kidnapping and attacking woman

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — An Oklahoma man is facing charges after being arrested in Las Vegas and being accused of kidnapping and trying to kill a woman.

According to an arrest report, the victim told police that this all started on July 14.

She said she started to date Shawn Smith about 10 months ago. On July 14, the mother of her daughter’s best friend invited her out for drinks. While the two were catching up, the mother told the woman that their daughters claimed Smith had touched them inappropriately. The woman said this made her angry and she went to Smith’s home in Garber, Oklahoma, which is about an hour and a half north of Oklahoma City, to discuss the matter with him.

She said she argued with Smith and the police were called. She said as she packed her belongings, Smith made threats that he was going to go after her daughters and because they use a specific app on their phones, he knew how to find them. Smith left before police arrived.

The report states the woman told officers she left Smith’s house to go back to her home and she stopped to get gas. She said Smith followed her, got into her car, and told her to drive or else he would hurt her. The woman said Smith told her to stop at a nearby casino to withdraw cash from his account and her account and they drove to Oklahoma City. She said Smith would not allow her to use her phone or go anywhere alone, including the bathroom.

The woman told police that the next day, the pair got onto Highway 40 and left town. While driving through Texas, Smith threw both of their phones out of the car and left them on the side of the road. She said when they stopped for gas, Smith locked her in the car and if she tried to get out, it would set the car alarm off. They stopped for the day in New Mexico where Smith bought a prepaid phone. She tried to set up a Facebook account to tell her daughter where she was but Smith caught her in the process. She also tried to call police back in Oklahoma but Smith caught her again and ended the call. The woman said she also left a note in the bathroom at a Dollar General store identifying who she was, saying she needed help, and that the pair was going to Las Vegas.

The two arrived in Las Vegas on July 16 and got a room at the Excalibur Hotel. The woman told police that even in the room, Smith wouldn’t let her shower or use the bathroom alone and that he “controlled all of her movements”. She said Smith took her to a strip mall where they got a marriage license and were married before going to a Denny’s. Sometime that day, the woman said Smith told her he had previously gone to prison for 17 years for raping a woman. She said this scared her even more and that she thought Smith would hurt her.

According to the arrest report, the pair left Denny’s to head to a novelty store and they were pulled over by patrol officers after Smith made an “unsafe lane change.” The officer got Smith’s license and the woman handed him the vehicle insurance and registration. While they were waiting for the officer to return to the car, Smith allegedly told the woman he was “going to take off, kill her, and then kill himself.”

Smith then sped away from the scene. Officers then pursued the vehicle until it stopped in a dirt lot near Sixth Street and East St Louis Avenue, just a few blocks of the Strip. When police arrived, officers said they saw the woman rolling on the ground bleeding from her left arm with Smith standing over her trying to grab her other arm. Officers said Smith then used a box cutter to cut both of his wrists and refused to follow directions from police. According to the arrest report, officers used a taser to take Smith into custody.

Smith and the woman were taken to Sunrise Hospital to be treated. The woman had a six-inch gash in her forearm that required 13 stitches. The report states doctors told her a tendon had also been severed and she would need to follow up with a surgeon to see if that required surgery.

When officers spoke with Smith at the hospital, the report states he told police “This is really out of character for me. Obviously, I did it.” Smith is facing multiple charges including attempted murder, kidnapping, and domestic battery. He’s scheduled to be in court on Aug. 3.