Hero Recalls how he Helped Foil Sexual Assault Attempt | News

LAS VEGAS - Graphic details are coming to light about an attempted sexual assault at a parking lot near Fashion Show Mall. Now, the Good Samaritan who may have saved the victim's life is speaking about the incident.

Angelo Giordano won't soon forget how the convenient parking lot quickly became a predator's playground Jan. 14.

"Let me tell you something, there was nobody in sight. I have no idea how this thing would have ended if the police van wasn't in sight. It was that bad," he said. "I think it's a good thing if they want to open it back up. They should light it up and have bicycle cops."

Even though Angelo spends 18 hours a day at Fashion Show Mall preparing his new theater to open, it was only by chance he found himself parked across the street on Fashion Show Drive that night.

"I park mostly in the valet. That night, it was very busy, so we parked in the parking lot across the street from valet," he said.

About to drive away and go home for the night, he noticed somebody suspicious and waited.

"The next point is when I heard the glass break, and then that's when I… I heard her struggle, but she didn't scream. The reason, I found out later, was because he was choking her," Giordano said. "He pulled her pants down. He ripped her pants, ripped her shirt. He was violent."

Police say 37-year-old Lemon Butler ambushed and attacked a young woman in the parking lot. According to the arrest report, "She bit one of the suspect's pinky fingers. The suspect said, ‘Oh, you're a fighter' or ‘Oh, you're a biter.'"

"It took me a minute to jump out of the vehicle, because the door was locked. I couldn't find the lock to get out," Giordano said. "After the scuffle, I made the decision to run toward the police van. I thought that would be the best right after that point."

Angelo alerted nearby officers and started chasing the suspect off the victim. Police say Butler tried to make a run for it, but didn't get very far.

"We just kept running and running and running until we chased him into Trump (Hotel Las Vegas)," Giordano said.

The whole ordeal lasted about five minutes, but Angelo says it felt like an eternity to him and the 21-year-old victim he saved.

"After the fact, you look back and say, ‘My God, that could have been my own daughter, my own family.' But, I would have done it for anybody," Angelo said. "I would have done it for you. I would have done it for anybody. That's just my nature. I feel like… I hope that someone would do it for me if I was in need as well."

After a brief stay at the hospital, the victim is expected to recover from her physical injuries. During the whole ordeal, Angelo Giordano was shocked to learn Butler's girlfriend was hiding in a truck.

Police haven't said whether she was involved or if she'll be charged. Butler is behind bars.