Aquarius Casino Resort Murder Defendant to Appear in Nevada Court Later This Month

Posted on: January 12, 2022, 06:46h. 

Last updated on: January 12, 2022, 02:15h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

One of two men charged with murder after a Laughlin, Nev. casino fight last July is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 27. David Cruz, 45, of Las Vegas is expecting in court as part of a preliminary hearing.

Cruz was released from custody on Sept. 21 after posting bail
Julio Arrezola-Rodriguez, left, and David Cruz, pictured above in mug shots. Both are defendants in a casino murder case. (Image: LVMPD)

Cruz was arrested on Aug. 26 and later appeared in Laughlin Justice Court. He was released from custody on Sept. 21 after posting bail, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Cruz’s bail was $250,000.

The case against the second defendant, Julio Arrezola-Rodriguez, 47, also of Las Vegas, is apparently pending. His next court date was not immediately available. It is unknown on which day he was arrested.

Deadly Aquarius Casino FIght

The duo allegedly took part in a fight outside of the Aquarius Casino Resort on July 30. It began as an argument on the main floor of the resort, according to the Mohave Valley Daily News, a local newspaper.

Alejo Jack Areyan, 44, of California was also involved in the altercation.

During the fight, Areyan allegedly punched Cruz. Arrezola-Rodriguez, then allegedly kicked and punched Areyan. But after he fell down to the ground, Areyan kept on getting beaten. The defendants kept on striking, kicking, and stomping on his face, police said, even though he remained motionless.

The victim was transported to Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City for treatment. But he died at the hospital, KLAS, a local TV station, reported.

An autopsy concluded Areyan died from blunt force head trauma. The Mohave County medical examiner’s office said his death was a homicide.

Even though Laughlin is some 75 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Metro Police have jurisdiction over the city. LVMPD detectives handled the homicide investigation.

Victim’s Relatives Speak Out

The fact that the court let Cruz out on bail angered the victim’s relatives.

The DA [Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Bishop Pesci] asked for bail to be denied. But the judge granted bail. He should never have been let out on bail,” Rosemary Flores, Areyan’s sister-in-law, told the Daily News in September.

Flores added that Areyan only got involved in the incident to assist someone else. He then got attacked, she adds.

Jasmine Arayan, Alejo Areyan’s daughter, further told the newspaper they want “to get the justice we deserve.”