Sacramento jury convicts armed robber who killed Capitol Casino security guard
SACRAMENTO — A jury convicted a man of first-degree murder in an armed robbery that turned deadly last year at a Sacramento casino, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Dawan Pecot was also convicted of second-degree robbery for the events that happened at Capitol Casino on N. 16th Street on August 22, 2022.
Pecot tried to rob the casino just after 6 a.m. that day before being caught by a security guard, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said. The security guard, identified as Sean Bernal, pointed a taser at Pecot and walked him out of the building.
Once outside the casino, Pecot pulled out a gun on Bernal and was able to re-enter the casino, making it inside the cash cage. While Pecot had his gun pointed at another employee, Bernal made it to the cash cage and tried to tase Pecot.
Pecot shot Bernal in the neck, killing him, prosecutors said. Pecot was able to get to his vehicle with $38,000 in cash, but he was chased outside by the employee he held at gunpoint.
When police arrived shortly later, Pecot fired at least one gunshot at the employee but missed. Officers arrested Pecot shortly after he tried to run away from the scene.
Susan Bernal, Sean's mother, told CBS13 that the jury's findings and the guilty verdict is a "relief" but that their family will remember Sean by the way he lived and that he died a hero.
"It did, in fact, save lives that day. He would've went home and something happened to his boss, his coworker, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself knowing he didn't do anything," said Bernal.
Pecot is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
