Nevada Judge Orders No Bail for Alleged Murderer at Lake Tahoe Casino

Posted on: April 26, 2023, 11:19h. 

Last updated on: April 29, 2023, 02:06h.

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

The man accused of fatally shooting another man at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe will be held without bail, a Nevada judge ruled on Tuesday.

Two officers at the Hard Rock Casino Lake Tahoe
Two officers at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe, pictured above. A man was shot dead there last month. The defendant was arrested and is now being held without bail. (Image: Getty Images)

Tahoe Township Justice of the Peace Richard Glasson rejected a request to set bail for the defendant, Edgar Delgado, 24, of California, who is charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly shot Omar Reyes Garcia, 32, of South Lake Tahoe, Nev., at the Stateline gaming property on March 25.

Prosecutor James Sibley argued in court that Delgado isn’t entitled to bail, according to the Record-Courier, a Nevada newspaper. Sibley also showed a video of the shooting and played a recording of the 911 call made by a casino security guard to report the crime.

More than a dozen of the victim’s relatives and friends were at Tuesday’s hearing. The victim’s relatives wrote statements that demanded Delgado be kept behind bars. They were read by Sibley in the courtroom.

“Delgado has proven to be dangerous and already attempted to flee,” the victim’s brother, Cesar Garcia, said in his statement.

Delgado has yet to enter a plea in the case. He’s scheduled to next appear in court on June 12.

Drunken Incident

Delgado and Garcia first met at the Hard Rock’s Center Bar, where they drank alcohol over several hours on the night of March 25. They apparently got into a dispute, and later, at about 8 a.m., Delgado allegedly pointed a 9 mm Glock at Garcia three times before shooting him in the head. Garcia died shortly after the shooting.

No one else in the bar was injured. There were eight or more customers present at the time, as well as a bartender.

Hours after the shooting, Delgado was apprehended on a California highway while a passenger in a Toyota 4Runner driven by his girlfriend, Savannah Raquel Tautaupele, 26. The pair were attempting to flee to Mexico, authorities said.

Delgado previously told police he didn’t remember what happened at the bar.

Drinking Blamed

Thomas Villoria, a veteran criminal defense attorney based in Reno representing Delgado, told the judge the shooting was an “isolated incident.”

Had he not been intoxicated, this would never have occurred,”  said Villoria, who formerly worked as a prosecutor.

Villoria said Delgado had already turned over his passport in his argument for bail. Delgado’s parents said they were willing to ensure their son would meet any conditions imposed by the judge.

Tautaupale was charged with driving under the influence and being an accessory after the fact. Her case is pending in local court.

A GoFundMe.com page to pay for Garcia’s funeral and related expenses saw an overwhelming response in the weeks after the shooting. It raised $41,191 as of this week. The original goal was $35K.

Hotel Evacuated

Because the incident was believed to be an active shooter situation, between 50 and 100 officers arrived at the casino, according to initial estimates.

Portions of the gaming property and Highway 50 in both directions were closed temporarily while police searched for the suspects. Each room at the casino was inspected. Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies evacuated the north, and Tahoe Towers of the hotel, and the casino was placed on lockdown while guests were ordered to shelter in place.

Dotty’s Casino in Stateline was also temporarily shuttered because of the shooting.