Gamblers at two Detroit casinos robbed of their winnings
(CBS DETROIT) – A visit to the casino didn't end well for two people over the weekend. Their winnings were stolen by an armed man.
At this point in their investigation, police aren't ready to say whether these were crimes of opportunity or if both victims were targeted, but they are urging casino patrons to stay vigilant.
"If you are one that wins an award, that you know how to do it and be discreet about it," Commander Melissa Gardner with the Detroit Police Department said on Tuesday.
Detroit police say the first armed robbery took place in the wee hours of Sunday morning on the 1200 block of Chrysler outside the Hollywood Casino in Greektown.
Then early Monday morning, a gambler leaving the MotorCity Casino located on the 2900 block of Grand River Avenue was mugged of their winnings in the parking garage.
"When we have incidents such as that, we definitely do special attention to those areas. We look at target times to make sure that we have a visible presence in the area to address any issues and concerns," Gardner said.
Because there are cameras everywhere at both casinos, the odds were in DPD's favor to find whoever committed the crimes.
First, they identified the getaway car for their person of interest. Then learned he was in jail in Genesee County on an unrelated charge.
As charges are pending in Wayne County, the top brass has this advice for gamblers who hit it big at the casino.
"Always situational awareness. We ask them to no one, make sure that their money is secured before leaving the premises, and not to post on social media your winnings. It's very important because you never know who's monitoring these sites and who are the bad actors that are out here. So we just ask that you not share that information publicly. And that, you're securing all winnings in a manner that would not dictate when you leave the premises that, you know, that you have had a great night," Gardner said.
Police also want this to be a cautionary tale to crooks that luck is never on their side.
"If there's a crime being committed in Detroit, wherever it is, no matter where you live as the bad actor, we're coming for you because the message is we're not going to tolerate that type of crime in our community," Gardner said.
CBS News Detroit did reach out to MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino asking for comment regarding these armed robberies, but neither responded as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
