NEW YORK: A 26-year-old Indian-origin man in the US was arrested by police at a New Jersey hotel for allegedly stabbing a sex worker after they got into an argument over money.
Vineeth Ravuri, a resident of Jersey City, was arrested from Aloft Hotel in Secaucus on April 9 after the police got a phone call from a woman calling for help, the Secaucus Police said in a statement.
Ravuri and the woman met at the hotel with the purpose of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money but when the woman asked him to leave the room, he brandished a knife and demanded his money back, said the statement.
As she refused to do so, he lunged at her and during that struggle, the woman received a laceration to her finger and buttocks.
The woman managed to escape from the room into the hallway and called for help, the statement said.
Police officers found Ravuri in the lobby of the hotel with blood on his jacket and foot along with a bloodied knife used in the assault.
He was subsequently placed under arrest. The woman was treated for injuries at the scene.
"Prostitution is not a victimless crime," Chief Dennis Miller said, adding that police will continue to conduct proactive operations in hopes of suppressing prostitution, which is often the root of other heinous crimes.
Meanwhile, Ravuri has been charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, criminal restraint, unlawful possession of a weapon, and engaging in prostitution, the statement said.