Man says he was stung on testicles by scorpion while sleeping at Las Vegas resort

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A California man staying at a Las Vegas Strip resort over the holiday season is considering legal action after he said his testicles were stung by a scorpion while he was asleep.

Michael Farchi, of Agora Hills, said he woke up in excruciating pain during his stay at the resort.

“I just felt like somebody stabbing me in my private area," said Farchi. "It felt like a sharp glass or a knife,” Farchi said. Upon investigation, Farchi said he found the source of the pain.

“I went to the restroom, and I saw a scorpion hanging on my underwear,” Farchi said of the Dec. 26 incident. Afterward, the man and his family checked out early, one day later, on Dec. 27. The hotel compensated him for his room.

Farchi and his attorney shared photos of the orange scorpion on his underwear. When asked if he knew how the scorpion got into his hotel room, the California man said he didn't.

"I didn't even ask how it got in the room," Farchi said. "It was just under my cover.”

A report filed with the Strip property, the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, detailed the incident, saying that he had been "bitten by a scorpion on my groin/testicles" around 8 a.m. The report indicated that Farchi told staff he was in "a lot of pain" and blamed The Venetian for the incident, adding that the scorpion "was in the bed when" he was sleeping. Farchi said he was diagnosed with a scorpion sting at an area hospital after the incident."

“Everybody was in shock. Nobody believed," Farchi said. "Even I couldn't believe it.”

An incident number from the resort marked the event, Farchi said, adding that he was considering legal action. Attorney Brian Virag said the scorpion's sting has been a source of trauma for his client.

While Virag said he is confident that the resort has policies and procedures in place to avoid situations like the one Farchi found himself in, it's another thing, the attorney posited, to ensure that the procedures are followed.

For their part, officials from The Venetian Resort Las Vegas responded to a request for comment Monday, saying, "The resort has protocols for all incidents and we can confirm they were followed in this incident."

It's a good idea to always inspect a hotel room and its surrounding areas upon checking in, Virag said.