California authorities continue to search for the man who stole over $95,000 from Bankers Casino in Salinas, Calif., and walked nonchalantly out of the cardroom on Sunday.
Bankers Casino, pictured above. The cardroom was the site of a $95K theft. (Image: KSBW)
At about 7 a.m. the unidentified, masked suspect walked into the main entrance of the cardroom, California TV station KSBW reported.
He then made his way to a location where cash was held. He scooped up the loot and placed it in a backpack. He then walked out of the casino and left the property.
It appears no one noticed him during the theft. He wasn’t in the building for that long.
It’s unclear if the stolen money was picked up from a cashier’s cage.
Was Cardroom Open?
The cardroom may have been closed to the public during the theft. The casino’s posted hours for poker on Sunday don’t start until 9 a.m. Saturday night’s poker games stop at 3 a.m.
Other casino games don’t start until 10 a.m. on Sunday. Saturday night’s non-poker games stop at 3 a.m.
Later on Sunday, a casino worker who’s responsible for totaling the amount of cash received, noticed there was missing money. That led security guards to review surveillance video.
The likely suspect was seen on the video. He was described as between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall. He weighed about 200 pounds.
He was wearing black pants and a dark hoodie at the time of the theft. He also had on a black facemask and sunglasses.
Casino security guards contacted the Salinas Police Department, who are investigating the crime.
Previous Stabbing, Assault
Bankers Casino has been the site of prior crimes including the assault of guards/officers and a stabbing.
On Labor Day weekend 2021, a man was arrested following the assault of a casino security guard and the headbutting of a Salinas police officer.
The suspect, later identified as Alvin Harrison, 47, was acting unruly at the casino, police said. Harrison sprayed the guard with champagne, authorities added.
Harrison then allegedly swung the bottle of champagne at the guard. Moments later, he allegedly threatened to come back to the casino with a firearm and shoot the guard.
The headbutting of the police officer took place when officers were placing Harrison in a patrol car, police said.
Harrison was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats, assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest. It’s unclear what happened to the charges against Harrison.
In April 2021, Jacob Jaime Gallegos was arrested on an attempted murder charge following a stabbing at the casino’s bar.
A 30-year-old man suffered several stab wounds on his chest during a fight. It’s unclear how the charges were adjudicated in court.
Bankers Casino is located about 60 miles south of San Jose, Calif. The owner was identified by the California Gambling Control Commission as Old Town Investments.
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