21-year-old woman arrested in connection with killing of nail-salon manager

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By David K. Li

A woman accused of involvement with the killing of a Las Vegas nail salon manager after a dispute over a $35 bill was arrested by federal authorities in Arizona on Friday, police said.

Krystal Whipple, 21, was taken into custody in connection with the death of 51-year-old Ngoc Q. Nguyen, Las Vegas police said.

“The Las Vegas Criminal Apprehension Team developed information on the whereabouts of Whipple,” according to a statement by Las Vegas Metro Police.

“That information was passed to the FBI Phoenix Violent Crime Task Force who located Whipple and took her into custody without incident a short time ago.”

Crystal Nails and Spa on Flamingo Road in Las Vegas, Nevada.Google

The confrontation happened on Dec. 29 when a customer got her nails done at Crystal Nails but her credit card was declined for the $35 bill, police said.

The customer said she would go out to her car to find another form of payment, but instead took off — with her vehicle dragging the pursuing nail salon manager, Nguyen, authorities said. Nguyen was taken to a hospital where she died a short time later.

A stolen rental car believed to have been the vehicle driven by the customer was found a few blocks away.

Ngoc Nhu NguyenGoFundMe

Police identified Whipple as a suspect, and her picture publicized on Jan. 3.

Her mother had pleaded for her to surrender to police.

“You can’t run, baby,” Sharon Whipple told ABC News. “You cannot run. You have to come forward, baby.”

source: nbcnews.com