Las Vegas man arrested on kidnapping, sex trafficking charges

A Las Vegas man is accused of kidnapping a woman, keeping her locked in a northwest valley apartment for days and refusing to give her food until she made money for him as a prostitute.

Zanier Kowlessar, 34, was arrested Sunday at an apartment complex near Summerlin Parkway and Town Center Drive. An arrest report for Kowlessar said police were called to the complex at 8 a.m. for a “distraught female walking around the apartment complex.”

“(The woman) stated a pimp had kidnapped her and kept her in his apartment for the last 10 days,” police said.

The woman said she had been tricked into going to the apartment to perform an act of prostitution. Instead, she encountered a man named “Z.”

“I have been looking for you,” the man told her. “You’re worth a million dollars. You are not leaving here. I am not taking no for an answer.”

The woman said she was forced to perform sex acts for money with three men who showed up at the apartment over a period of days. She said her assailant showed her a gun, threatened to beat her and told her she would not be allowed to eat until she made at least $1,000 through prostitution.

After finding the woman walking through the complex, police went to the apartment and arrested Kowlessar on charges of kidnapping and sex trafficking. Police said that after his arrest he made the comment: “I need to get a new hustle!”

A criminal complaint in the case has not been filed.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.