Posted on: December 22, 2023, 07:01h.
Last updated on: December 22, 2023, 07:01h.
A 26-year-old man was arrested this week for allegedly robbing a woman in the parking lot of New Hampshire’s Filotimo Casino & DraftKings Sports Book.
Estevan Perez Ortiz of Manchester, N.H., was charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon for the Dec. 15 holdup.
The victim was in the lot of the Manchester gaming facility when a gun-holding bandit stole her wallet. No word how much money was in the wallet at the time.
The robber ran from the crime scene to a silver Honda Odyssey minivan. He then drove away.
Police unsuccessfully searched for the suspect in the immediate area around the casino, even using a specialized dog, according to Patch. But he was able to flee quickly.
Using surveillance video, police officers eventually were able to identify the suspect.
He was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in Hillsborough Superior Court-North on Thursday.
Three Arrested for Fake Signatures
Three suspects were arrested recently for submitting fake signatures on Florida referendum proposals. One petition called for expanding gambling in the state.
David Lennard Simmons, 49, of Clewiston, Fla. was charged earlier this month with 17 counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information of a deceased individual. That means the forged signatures were of dead people.
The petition he was circulating would have allowed card rooms to provide games such as blackjack. The petition drive has since been recalled, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
On another petition topic, Zachary Paul Dworsky, 34, of Miami, was charged this month with 15 felony counts each of criminal use of personal identification information and signing another person’s name or a fictitious name to a petition.
Also, Natalie Marie Marrero, 33, of Orlando, was arrested in November on 16 counts each for fraudulent use of personal identification information and false swearing of voter registration information.
Their petitions called for the legalization of recreational marijuana. That issue has gotten enough signatures on petitions that it may be included in next November’s referendum.
Each of the suspects was a paid signature collector.
In a statement announcing the arrests, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said, “To fraudulently misappropriate (the) process for personal gain is not only illegal but also violates the trust of law-abiding Floridians across the state.”
196 Illegal Gambling Machines Seized
Florida authorities raided two illegal gambling operations on Wednesday. They seized 196 gambling devices and an unspecified amount of cash.
The unnamed gambling joints in Charlotte County were shut down. It wasn’t clear from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office if anyone will be charged.
Before the raid, the sheriff’s office sent the businesses two warning letters. But owners of the operations chose to ignore them, according to Florida TV station WFTX.
