Visitors frighten ‘statue’ on Strip
A Las Vegas street performer who poses as a living Freddy Krueger statue is dealing with a bad dream of his own.
After being arrested on New Year's Day after he pepper-sprayed a man who allegedly threatened him, the Krueger character, Claudio Meloni, 39, was transported to jail by -- drum roll, please -- Las Vegas police officer Michael Krueger.
In an interview Wednesday, Meloni said that he was wrongfully arrested and that he plans to take his case to the ACLU.
He was performing in front of Bill's Gamblin' Hall about 3 p.m. Monday when a 20-something woman and several men walked past.
The woman approached him and made a threatening gesture with her fingernails, he said.
He grabbed her wrist "to block her before she scratched my eyes," Meloni said.
A man in the group took issue with Meloni making contact with the woman and "threatened to kill me," the street performer said.
Meloni said he warned the man that he had pepper spray and would use it if he didn't back off. When the man "pushed me in the chest," Meloni said he sprayed him.
The group disbanded but police officers showed up and arrested Meloni for disorderly conduct. Meloni told the police it was self-defense, but "they said it wasn't enough to use the pepper spray."
Meloni, a former Hollywood street performer, said it was the ninth time he used pepper spray in three years as a Las Vegas street performer.
He said street performers receive a lot more verbal abuse here than he saw in Hollywood.
MISS NEVADA WELL PREPARED
Facing a panel of scrutinizing Miss America judges won't be a daunting task for Miss Nevada Alana Lee.
In a role reversal, she spent much of her summer asking important people questions instead of being interviewed.
Lee, who is competing in the upcoming Miss America pageant at Planet Hollywood, landed a dream summer job: She was the production coordinator for a documentary about Wayne Newton's career.
She talked to dozens of VIPs, including Frank Sinatra's widow, Barbara.
The Las Vegas native grew up in politics, so she's no stranger to tough issues and hard questions.
Her father is state Sen. John Lee, a North Las Vegas Democrat who found himself outnumbered when Alana led the Pledge of Allegiance during the GOP presidential debate at The Venetian in October.
Politics is in her blood. While watching the debates, Alana Lee recalled thinking, "One day I'm going to be doing this."
The interview she most enjoyed, she said, was with retired four-star Gen. Tommy Franks in Hobart, Okla.
Her travels for Newton's documentary also took her to Houston to interview retired NASA astronauts Walter Cunningham and Eugene Cernan.
Being around politics has been "very beneficial," said Lee, whose poise and speaking ability helped her win Miss Nevada in July.
"It made me a lot more comfortable. I feel right at home around politicians because they were in my home," said Lee, who attended Dixie State College of Utah in St. George.
Her Miss America platform will be "Patriotism: Rock the Vote."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Rio headliner Penn Jillette and IndyCar team owner Michael Andretti, a part-time Las Vegas resident, will be competing in the upcoming season of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice." The Donald Trump-hosted show premieres Feb. 12. Other male participants: Arsenio Hall, Clay Aiken, Adam Carolla, Lou Ferrigno, Dee Snider and George Takei. They will compete against this female team: Cheryl Tiegs, Debbie Gibson, Tia Carrere, Victoria Gotti, Lisa Lampanelli, Dayana Mendoza, Aubrey O'Day, Patricia Velasquez and Teresa Giudice.
THE PUNCH LINE
"There's a plan for the Pentagon to cut almost half a trillion dollars from the military. The Pentagon plans to pay for future wars by divorcing Kobe Bryant." -- Conan O'Brien
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
