Robbers Who Targeted Casino Winners Face Life
Two men from L.A. were arrested on Friday and now face federal charges for holding up over a dozen casino winners at gunpoint on various highways.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, 22-year-old Juan Gabriel Gonzalez and Dereck Nathan Lopez frequented several casinos in Southern California while using aliases. They made friends with gamblers who seemed successful, then trailed them from the casinos and attacked them on highways, using weapons to break their car windows and demand cash.
Prosecutors reported that this situation occurred at least 15 times. During hectic evenings, the two individuals and their accomplices would target as many as three casinos, pilfering over $130K. The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Commerce and the Parkwest Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens are the only two casinos specifically named in their arrest report.
Prosecutors stated that a female victim captured on surveillance footage from an unnamed casino was seen exchanging a high-five with Lopez an hour before he and his accomplices held her up at gunpoint for $21K.
The duo confronts 10 felony charges apiece, encompassing several counts of interference and attempted interference with commerce through robbery, one charge of Hobbs Act conspiracy, and numerous counts of utilizing firearms during a violent crime.
Lopez was also indicted on one count for being a convicted felon in possession of weapons and ammunition. In 2023, he was found guilty of grand theft.
If found guilty of all counts, each individual could receive a life sentence.
