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Former UNLV football player dies in fight; suspect arrested
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Demario Reynolds Sr.
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Jason Sindelar
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Jun. 22, 2010 | 8:04 a.m.
DeMario Reynolds Sr. was “one of the good ones,” a relative remembers.
“Of all the men in my family, he had the least-risk lifestyle,” said Marguerite Clark, cousin to the slain man’s mother and a self-described surrogate mother to Reynolds. “When we heard, we said, ‘How? The good one?’ We were floored.”
Reynolds, 26, a former University of Nevada, Las Vegas football player, was beaten to death in a Strip hotel Saturday, according to an arrest report for the suspect.
Reynolds died after an early morning fight in a Luxor hotel room with Jason Simon Sindelar, 25, the report said.
Reynolds, a 6-foot-tall, 210-pound linebacker, last played for UNLV in 2005, according to the athletic department’s official website.
According to a mixed martial arts website, Sindelar had one professional fight in North Dakota in 2008 and four amateur fights. It was unclear whether Sindelar, a Las Vegas resident, had continued training to be a fighter in Nevada.
Reynolds’ 43-year-old fiancee, Iman Aubrey, who operates purrfectlv.com, a Las Vegas website for prospective swingers, told police Reynolds was trying to stop a fight between Sindelar and his girlfriend in a bathroom about 4 a.m.
Aubrey and other witnesses told police that Sindelar had grabbed his girlfriend by the throat and slapped her, the report said, which prompted Reynolds to grab Sindelar and pull him to the floor.
A witness told police Reynolds said he “didn’t want to fight with him (Sindelar), that he loved him and he just needed to calm down,” the report said.
“He’s not a fighter, that’s not what he does,” Clark said. “We spoke to some of them (witnesses), and they all said Mario never threw a punch.”
The confrontation between the men continued in the master bedroom, where Sindelar “continuously hit Reynolds in the head and chest,” witnesses told police. Reynolds was “sweating and out of breath,” the report said.
Sindelar left the suite but returned several moments later, the report said, and began beating Reynolds in the face and chest. Reynolds had taken a defensive position, witnesses told police.
After Sindelar had left for a second time, Reynolds was unresponsive, and security was called, Aubrey told police, according to the report.
Reynolds was taken to Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The Clark County coroner’s office has not released a cause and manner for the death.
During an interview with detectives, Sindelar said Reynolds grabbed him by the throat while he was arguing with his girlfriend. He told police that no physical altercation had occurred, but he had “several visible injuries” on his body, according to the arrest report.
Aubrey, when reached by phone Monday, declined to comment on whether she was hosting a party through her website the day of Reynolds’ death.
But Clark said family members told her there was a swingers party that evening, hosted by Aubrey. Clark said Reynolds’ life might have been saved had someone called hotel security when the fight began.
“If you’re staying at a high-class hotel in Las Vegas and you call security, they’re coming Johnny-on-the-spot,” Clark said.
An official for the company that owns the Luxor directed questions to police.
“We’re fully cooperating with investigators, and further inquiries should be made to Metro,” MGM Resorts International spokesman Gordon Absher said.
Clark said Reynolds’ family did not approve of Aubrey and questioned whether she was more worried about her business than Reynolds.
“Heaven forbid there’s some bad publicity and you can’t have the smut parties there anymore,” she said.
According to Reynolds’ UNLV biography, he played two seasons as a safety at a California junior college before transferring to UNLV. He also played for Las Vegas High School.
Reynolds was the son of Roy Lee Reynolds Sr. and Catherine Clark. He had five siblings. His son, DeMario Jr., was born in 2003.
Marguerite Clark said the family is shaken up, especially Reynolds’ mother.
Reynolds had graduated from UNLV and had a good job working at Luxor’s Cathouse, a nightclub at the hotel.
“This was a good kid. No gangs, no drugs,” she said. “He overcame all these obstacles in his life, and now this? It’s so senseless.”
Sports editor Joe Hawk contributed to this report. Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.
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And so the truth and the real colors are just beginning to get exposed and the best is yet to come. I find it very amusing how Ms Iman is portrayed in some of these posts and I really question the integrity of your comments because the facts will portray the real person that she truly is, just as glitter.glitter has posted. Sometimes, it's better to just say nothing because your comments tend to motivate those who are looking for the facts and the truths about Ms. Iman and her shady ca$h BIZ!!
Did Ms Iman use illegal drugs at her parties?
Vegazzz - FYI, lonely single males were apparently never turned away, provided they had ca$h in hand, which landed in Ms. Iman's pur$e
Cameron we all yawn to your accusations! yawn, yawn, yawn. You speak like a lonely single male that was turned away at the door... yawn!
As a very close person to Iman, I can attest that there is NO man in her bed and absolutely no man wearing DeMario's clothes. Iman is so heart broken she can hardly keep it together. Her heart is broken in every emotional sense!
I feel pity and shame for those of you speaking so ill of her during such an awful time in her life. Trust that Iman will prevail. She still has the love of DeMario behind her. He would never want anyone, stranger or family, to say anything derogatory about her.
Glitter.Glitter you obviously do not speak with anything but ignorance to the situation and NO class.
This is for my dear friend Iman. Iman I have known you for many years. We have had many good times and a few sad. You have always held you head high and demonstrated such grace. You have been there for me more than you know. I am truly sorry you have lost the love of your live. Demario was a true gentleman loved by all who knew him. His love for you was beautiful and steadfast. I will never forget how you looked at one another, how you finished each other's comments, how silly you guys were together. How he sat behind you and always had his big arms wrapped around you. Those of us who really know you, KNOW that you ran your business very professionally and did not wish to compromise your loving relationship by participating. I will never understand why this tragic event happened. I know the type of man Demario was and know he had no choice in his mind than to help the young woman. I don't want His good hearted nature to be dismissed. Please Iman, do not listen to the haters and the judgmental people who have no idea what they are talking about. Stay strong, surround yourself with those who love you. The loss I feel in my heart is only a portion of what you are feeling. I will pray that God holds and protects you. I pray for Demario Jr. and all the family.
O.M.G PLEASE DON'T INSULT THE INTELLIGENCE OF EITHER THE REYNOLDS OR CLARK FAMILY BY STATING HOW MUCH IMAN LOVED DEMARIO. WHY DID I JUST FIND OUT THAT ANOTHER MAN IS IN HER BED AND WEARING DEMARIO'S CLOTHES WHAT A INSULT TO OUR LIFESTYLE. I USE TO HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR PUURFECT LV BUT WILL GO TO PAHRUMP AND PAY FOR SOME PIPE.
I do not know any of the parties involved but my heart felt sympathy goes out to DeMario's family. I do not understand the situation because I wasn't there but I hope that the people who were present learned something from this incident. I do not know what I would have done but I hope I would have been in my right mind to seek help or intervene w/o thinking of what might happen to me if I got involved.
Bombshell!! The real truth will be coming out very soon in the News Media, stay tuned for the Real Story about Ms Iman and her business practices to unfold very soon. There is much more to this story than just MMA, Swingers and UNLV Football players to unfold.
To everyone out there with their stupid opinions about the events of that morning keep them to yourself. Iman's business had nothing to do with the death of the man she was in love with the parties that she hosted put food on her table, sound like a lot of people out there are mad they didn't come up with the idea, and just for u idiots that keep commenting on what she does for a living there was not a party going on that morning it was a group of there close friends. It is a very bad situation for everyone affected by it so please dont victimize them twice.
It Was very clear to everyone on the outside looking in how Iman felt for Demario. To All U People on here making negative comments toward Iman...Grow Up she just lost her love, U People should be ashamed of yourselves it's like taking him from her twice. Iman Keep Your Head Up and Stay Strong Demario Would Want it That Way.
Thank you for everyone that has taken a stance for Iman! THAT'S WHAT DEMARIO WOULD HAVE WANTED!