ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis couple says they are still in shock after their anniversary trip to Las Vegas over the weekend took a violent turn. And it was all caught on camera.
Mitchell and Michelle Stonebarger were in Las Vegas celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary Sunday. Mitchell said he was taking a video with his camera when they were approached by two men with a flier. When he turned to include them in the video, things took a sudden turn. The larger men seemed upset that they were being filmed.
The video shows they followed the couple, repeatedly hitting Mitchell and his camera.
“These guys were out for blood,” Mitchell said. “It’s like they wanted to kill me.”
The couple says after they got away and stopped recording, the men followed them and again attacked Mitchell.
“I felt another punch, and I went down like that. As soon as I went down, I felt another punch, and my camera got yanked out of my hand. That guy took my camera, and I saw him smash it on the ground,” he said. “The last place I want to be is on the ground in the fetal position, getting kicked in the head.”
The Stonebargers said they called police and tried to trace the men after they ran off, and they think they found out where they work. Michell said they still can’t believe a harmless video sparked such a violent attack.
“For someone who didn’t want to be on camera, he’s on camera now!” she said.
Michelle said she had a medical episode during the attack. She was disappointed no one in the large crowd around them who witnessed the attack tried to intervene or even asked if they were ok.
The couple’s advice? Always be aware of your surroundings and try to keep your distance from any potential threats.
“You hear people say, ‘Be careful outside of The Strip.’ I’m saying, be careful in The Strip,” Michell said.
Mitchell, who’s left with swelling and bruising on his face, potential medical bills and a broken $700 camera, said they are still struggling to move past the traumatic event.
“We were brutally attacked for recording a tourist area. This place is designed to take photos and videos of it.”
Las Vegas police are investigating the incident. The couple says they won’t be going back to visit the city anytime soon.
