San Diego
A San Diego couple will be held without bail in Las Vegas until they are arraigned on charges that they kept four Central American women as slaves in San Diego, Hawaii and Las Vegas. At a hearing in Las Vegas Friday, U.S. Magistrate Philip Pro ordered Kenneth Kimes, 67, and his wife, Santee Kimes, 41, held on the 17-count indictment pending arraignment next Friday. A trial date will be set then.
Prosecutors charge that the couple, who operate two motel chains, hired four women as domestics and then beat them, refused to pay them and did not permit them any contact with the outside world.
The couple, operators of Kimes Motel Inc. and Mecca Motels Inc., reportedly have residences in La Jolla, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Washington, D.C., and Cancun, Mexico.
They were arrested Aug. 3 in San Diego on a federal criminal complaint issued in Las Vegas.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
