Prosecutors in King County, Washington, have officially charged a man and a woman, a couple, for a robbery they allegedly conducted on August 30, 2024, at Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn.
This comes after a teenager was sentenced up to 27 years in prison for a murder at a Las Vegas casino.
The people charged are Tahiri C. Ponce, 31, of Winlock, and Arturo Alejandro Perez-Nava, 32, of Elma. The charges were brought on September 10 with a felony charge of robbery in the first degree.
Authorities arrested the two on September 6 at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.
Auburn police responded to the scene on August 30 at around 3:16 am.
The incident, which took place at Muckleshoot Casino, located at 2402 Auburn Way South, included a victim who won $1,000 at the casino. Ponce and Perez-Nava allegedly saw the man put the money into his wallet, and Ponce approached him in a parking garage before both Perez-Nava and Ponce robbed him.
According to court documents, casino surveillance showed Ponce approaching him.
“It was evident that [he] lowered his guard by the welcoming flirtation … of the female suspect,” the affidavit stated. “It was evident that Arturo was constantly following both [Ponce] and their intended victim,” the Auburn Reporter reported.
After Ponce approached him, she waved Perez-Nava over, who was driving a Dodge Charger. From here, the victim grabbed a hammer to protect himself after he was threatened with a tire iron. Perez-Nava dropped the tire iron and pulled out a knife, and the victim obliged, giving up his wallet.
Ponce and Perez-Nava were identified through their IDs which casino employees scanned.
Both Ponce and Perez-Nava have criminal pasts. Ponce was recently convicted of burglary and theft and is also facing an assault case. Perez-Nava also has pending charges for burglary and theft.
These convictions, both past and potential, could result in additional prison time for both Ponce and Perez-Nava.
Richard Janvrin, a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in English/Journalism, has been a professional writer since 2015. Specializing in sports, sports betting, and online casinos, Richard began his casino writing journey following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. Since then, he has crafted various casino-related content, including how-to guides, online casino reviews, bonus/promotion overviews, and breaking news. Richard is dedicated to delivering the most current and precise news in the online casino industry.
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