Washington State Casino Worker Robbed in Home

Posted on: February 7, 2024, 06:28h. 

Last updated on: February 7, 2024, 09:36h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

An employee of Seattle’s Roman Casino was robbed by several masked men early Tuesday after she was followed home from the gaming property.

The woman was confronted by a group of armed bandits at about 4:30 a.m. in an apparent home invasion in Bellevue, Wash.

There were five suspects, all armed with either handguns or rifles,” Bellevue Police Officer Seth Tyler told Seattle TV station KCPQ. “The suspects may have suspected that the victim actually was gambling at the casino, but it just turns out they were an innocent employee working at this casino,” Tyler said.

Jason Hoang, the victim’s son, was sleeping inside the apartment when the robbers arrived after targeting his mother, according to Seattle TV station KIRO.

She just got out of the car and then they just point guns at her and stuff,” Hoang said. “I just woke up and they pointed a gun at my face.”

Some of the men were armed with AK-47-style rifles, he added.

The robbers stole an unspecified amount of money and some watches before they ran toward two nearby SUVs. They drove away before the police arrived. Police didn’t reveal how much cash was taken or the value of the missing watches.

The suspects were still at large as of Wednesday morning.

Surprising Attack

The brazen crime emotionally shook Hoang and his mother. Hoang was so upset he couldn’t call the police. Another resident at the apartments alerted 911, KIRO reported.

The nearby resident, Ashely Salazar, later told KIRO, “I got woken up from the commotion upstairs, and I started texting and asking him, ‘Are you OK?’ What’s going on, sounds crazy up there.”

I saw all these guys running from the apartment and then he called me and said, ‘I just got robbed,’ so then I was like, ‘I’m calling the cops right now,’” she said.

Police arrived and searched the area. They were given video from a doorbell security camera at the apartment complex, which showed some of the crime. Police didn’t describe the suspects or descriptions of the SUVs.

Hoang’s mother told officers that another casino employee was the victim of a similar crime.

After the robbery, Salazar told KIRO their Factoria, Wash. neighborhood is pretty crime-free.

“I’ve lived here 13 years and we’ve had car prowling, someone had their bike stolen a couple [of] months ago, but that’s about it — nothing like this,” Salazar recalled.