CLEVELAND – Cleveland police said surveillance video led them to the identity and arrest of a man accused of robbing two Horseshoe Casino-goers.
It happened early Sunday, after two friends won big playing the table games at Cleveland Horseshoe Casino.
The friends said they won $1,800 and decided to leave. But they weren’t alone.
The victims told police they noticed a man following them to the escalator and then the Tower City Center parking lot, a man who was also at the table gambling.
According to a police report, the suspect, later identified as Ronald Wells, asked for a lighter, but the victims didn’t have one. That’s when they said Wells reached into his pocket and grabbed his gun and said “you know what this is.”
One of the victims spoke by phone with NewsChannel5 on the condition that his name and city not be reported. “It was the most terrifying moment of my life,” he said. “I constantly think about it.”
The victim said he has visited the casino several times but will not return because he doesn’t think the area around it is safe.
“From the time I left the casino ’til the time I went through the mall and got to the bottom at the parking deck, I didn’t see any security personnel whatsoever,” he said.
However, Horseshoe Cleveland general manager Marcus Glover said “there’s tons of security within our building as well as our perimeter.” Glover said security officers on duty at Tower City that night were patrolling another area at the time of the robbery.
“We’re going to continue to work with Tower City to make sure that we collaborate and make sure that the officers we have on duty are available, are visible and provide a very, very safe and secure environment,” he said.
After allegedly robbing the two, the suspect took off on foot.
Police said the casino’s security cameras helped them re-trace the suspect’s steps, including when he entered with his ID.
Wells was arrested shortly after the crime. Reports indicate Wells is no stranger to breaking the law.
