Published: October 26, 2023, 10:47h. 

Last Updated: October 26, 2023, 10:48h.

A woman was apprehended and arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a valuable Rolex watch from a room at the famous Aria Resort & Casino. Despite her repeated denials, she eventually confessed to hiding the stolen watch under a wig.

The accused, identified as 25-year-old Ariel Jackson, is facing charges of grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny.

As of late this week, she is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center, with a scheduled court appearance on Monday.

The incident unfolded when the owner of the stolen Rolex, valued at $15,000, left it unattended on a counter before going to sleep around 1:30 a.m., as reported by Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

Valuables Secured

Later, another male occupant of the room at the MGM Resorts International property woke him up, advising him to place the watch and other valuable belongings in the room’s safe, in light of the presence of two unfamiliar women.

The owner followed the advice and secured the items in the safe.

Upon searching for his watch later, the owner discovered that it was missing from the safe.

At the time of the search, both women were still present in the room, prompting the owner to confront them about the missing Rolex.

Hotel security was immediately contacted, leading to the arrival of Aria security guards at the room.

All three individuals were taken to a holding room within the hotel, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) was informed.

Police officers began questioning the women, with one of them initially claiming ignorance about the whereabouts of the Rolex, according to police statements.

However, the second woman, Jackson, also claimed to have no knowledge of the missing watch.

Desperate Gambit

During the arrest and transfer to a police vehicle, Jackson made a surprising offer, asking the officer, “If by chance one of [us] had the watch and returned it, would they be able to get set free?”. However, when pressed for the location of the watch, Jackson refused to speak unless given her freedom, police revealed.

The officer clarified that the decision to press charges and any potential release would rest with the owner of the stolen watch. Additionally, the officer demanded that Jackson produce the missing Rolex.

It was at this point that Jackson revealed the hidden location of the watch under her wig. The officer discovered the Rolex “stuffed in between her hair and the wig,” as described by the police.

The watch was subsequently returned to its rightful owner, yet the desire to pursue charges against Jackson remained.

It is uncertain whether the second woman faced any charges in connection with the incident, and the method used to access the safe has not been disclosed.

This unfortunate occurrence adds to a string of recent thefts involving Rolex watches in various Las Vegas hotels.