News Summary
An Inland Empire couple, Chris and Yolanda Manzano, faced a distressing ordeal at Boulder Station Hotel & Casino when valet staff mistakenly handed over their car to a stranger. The incident, occurring days after they parked their vehicle to celebrate a birthday, raised serious security concerns, as the car was released without proper verification. Their frustrations grew when hotel management provided minimal assistance and failed to issue an apology, leaving the couple to deal with the fallout including a loss of personal items and increased travel costs.
Las Vegas – An incident at Boulder Station Hotel & Casino has left an Inland Empire couple, Chris and Yolanda Manzano, without their 2015 white Lexus after valet staff mistakenly handed the vehicle over to a stranger. The couple, who was in town to celebrate Chris’s birthday, continues to face distress nearly three weeks after the incident with no formal apology or follow-up from hotel management.
The Manzanos arrived at Boulder Station on September 28 for the celebration and valet parked their Lexus around 8:30 p.m. After attending a Raiders game, they came back to retrieve their vehicle the next morning only to find it missing. Valet staff appeared confused about the parking ticket, suggesting a failure to follow proper protocol.
According to surveillance footage, a man claimed the Lexus at 6:34 a.m., saying it belonged to him under the name Manzano. This was done without any form of identification or valet ticket verification, indicating serious lapses in security protocols. The valet attendant who released the vehicle had only been on the job for two days and lacked full training on the casino’s policies.
The incident has raised significant safety concerns for the Manzanos, especially since their house keys, garage door opener, toll pass, and vehicle registration were inside the car. Yolanda expressed her anxiety over the potential for an intrusion into their home because of the lack of security. As the couple waited for assistance, they faced delays in police response, and Las Vegas Metro Police did not arrive on-site to report the issue as initially promised.
With no assistance forthcoming from the hotel, the Manzanos were forced to rely on hotel shuttles to rent a car. After encountering complications with one-way rentals back to Southern California, Chris went to file a police report in person later that day. Hotel management offered limited assistance, compensating only part of their stay.
Throughout their ordeal, the couple made multiple calls to hotel staff, but they received little help and were continually told that someone would contact them, which did not happen. Management, including Megan Rump, Director of Hotel Operations, has not reached out to the couple regarding the incident since it occurred.
Under Nevada law, the casino’s liability for the lost vehicle is restricted to its current market value, estimated at approximately $15,800. The Manzanos expressed frustration over needing to finance a new car and pay increased insurance costs caused by this mismanagement. Their travel expenses back home neared $300 out-of-pocket, and a planned birthday dinner at the Golden Steer Steakhouse was ultimately canceled due to the disruption.
In light of the incident, the couple decided to bypass valet service and parked their rental car in general parking for safety concerns. A detective later confirmed that casino security provided surveillance photos of the individual who took their car and interviewed the relevant staff.
Despite the serious breach of trust demonstrated by the casino’s staff, the establishment has yet to issue any acknowledgment or apology regarding their failure to adhere to proper verification protocols.
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Additional Resources
- Inland Empire Community News
- USA Today
- Las Vegas Review-Journal
- Las Vegas Sun
- News 3 Las Vegas
- Wikipedia: Valet Parking
- Google Search: Las Vegas casinos security protocols
- Google Scholar: Valet service security issues
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Las Vegas
- Google News: Boulder Station Casino
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