Sioux Falls, South Dakota Casino Robbed, Bandit at Large After Stealing Cash

Posted on: November 3, 2021, 03:53h. 

Last updated on: November 3, 2021, 05:34h.

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

A Happy Jacks Casino located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was robbed early Wednesday. Police were still searching for the suspect later in the day.

No weapon was shown
A Sioux Falls, S.D. police SUV, pictured above. Local police were searching for a robber who allegedly held up a casino there early Wednesday. (Image: KELO)

At about 1:20 am, a man went into the gaming venue and handed a threatening note to an employee, according to KELO, a local TV station. The bandit then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. No firearm was shown.

The suspect is white and about 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He was wearing a red flannel jacket at the time.

Prior Sioux Falls Holdups

Other Sioux Falls gaming venues were targets of robberies in recent years. In December 2020, an unidentified man robbed an unidentified smaller Sioux Falls gaming venue as he brandished a handgun, KSFY, another local TV station, said.

He had grabbed the arm of an employee and then scooped up the money. In addition, Sioux Falls police responded to two armed robberies at local casinos in November 2020.

One prior robbery took place at Aces Casino. A masked bandit, who was holding a firearm, confronted an Aces employee and demanded money from a cash drawer. A second robber stood guard. Before any money was swiped or injuries took place, the worker was able to escape to a nearby room. He locked the door.

The bandit ran off with an unspecified amount of cash. There were about a half dozen people in the casino at the time of the robbery.

The robber was reported to be about 6 feet tall. He was white and was wearing a blue plaid hooded jacket.

Another robbery took place about the same time at the Crown Casino. One robber demanded money and the other man stood guard. In that case, workers gave the bandits money before the duo fled.

Store Robbed with Machete

That same month, a convenience store employee in Sioux Falls escaped injury after a man entered the store with a machete and lingered in the location, identified as a Food-N-Fuel, police said. The store also housed gaming machines.

Police identified him as LaShawn King Owens, 45, of Sioux Falls. He was charged with aggravated assault, carrying a concealed weapon, and failure to vacate, the Argus Leader, a Sioux City newspaper, reported. It was unclear Wednesday what happened to the charges against him.

In July 2020, a backpack that was mistakenly left behind during a holdup of Burnside Game Place led to the arrest of two bandits by Sioux Falls police, the Argus Leader reported.

Demetrius Remall Jackson, 39, of Sioux Falls, was charged with robbery and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, the report said. Davon Darnell Clark, 33, of Palmdale, Calif., was charged with robbery, possession of marijuana, and failure to vacate, the report adds. It was unclear what happened to these cases in local courts.

Prior to those holdups, there was a robbery spree of a casino and gas station in Sioux Falls in late 2019. One of the incidents was an armed robbery at Jokers Casino, KSFY reported.