Arrest Report Sheds Light on Viral Vegas Showgirl Impersonator Brawl

An arrest report has revealed new details after two showgirl impersonators allegedly attacked a visiting couple on the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 30. Making the ordeal even more harrowing, the victims had traveled to town to get married.

Video of the wild altercation circulated widely on social media and was featured by TMZ:

Wedding Goes On Despite Brawl

According to the arrest report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Eric Richards and his fiancée, Merihazel Walters, both of Charlotte, N.C., were approached by three women in showgirl costumes (Jennifer Ortiz, 26, Magdellena Romero, 43, and an unidentified third woman) as they exited Paris Las Vegas. Police noted the third impersonator was not arrested because she attempted “her best to separate the fight while also de-escalating the situation.”

The impersonators asked if the couple wanted a photo taken with them. They agreed. But after Richards tipped the women $20 for posing with them, they demanded between $60 and $180 more, police said. As the couple attempted to walk away, Ortiz followed them to Planet Hollywood and initiated the physical confrontation.

“Ortiz can be seen walking closely behind Richards and his fiancée before a brief altercation occurred where Richards and Ortiz can be seen swinging arms at each other,” the report said.

According to police, Ortiz struck Richards multiple times—including with a high‑heeled boot, causing a visible forehead gash. When Walters attempted to intervene, she was tackled by Romero, who pulled her hair and hit her several times in the head and face with a closed fist, the arrest report said. Richards then pushed Romero away.

Richards and Walters were treated at the scene and declined transportation to a hospital.

Ortiz was arrested on suspicion of battery and obtaining money under false pretenses. Romero was arrested on suspicion of battery. Both are scheduled for a Dec. 3 status check.

Impersonators Dispute Account

Ortiz offered officers a different version of events, claiming Richards and Walters requested photos but refused to tip. She told police that Richards punched her in the shoulder, causing her to remove her boots to leave. Romero claimed she intervened only because she believed Ortiz was being attacked.

However, surveillance footage from nearby security cameras corroborated Richards’ and Walters’ account of the attack, police wrote in their report.

Municipal Court records show Ortiz was previously cited during a March 29 incident at the Fremont Street Experience. Originally charged with affray and later amended to disturbing the peace, the citation resulted in a suspended 90‑day jail sentence, a one‑year stay‑out‑of‑trouble order, and a requirement to complete an impulse-control course.

As officers detained Ortiz and Romero, another visiting couple approached police to report a separate dispute involving the same impersonators. The couple stated they agreed to pay $60 via a tap-to-pay app on Ortiz’s phone, but were charged $218. When confronted, the performers reportedly provided a fake phone number.

Calls for Strip Performer Regulation

Costumed characters shaking tourists down for tips that are not negotiated in advance has become a common nuisance on the Las Vegas Strip—though it is just as common in other U.S. tourist hubs such as Times Square and Hollywood Boulevard.

“I haven’t seen anybody really talk about this widely, but why not license street performers (on the Strip) at this point?” asked Shawn Coomer on the Oct. 6 installment of his Miles to Memories Vegas podcast. Noting that Fremont Street regulates its street performers, he asked: “Why not… make them get a license, make them be responsible for what they charge and then make them disclose prices upfront?”

“I think it’s created a confrontational sort of atmosphere for tourists and I don’t think that’s a good thing for Las Vegas,” Coomer added.