Salinas police reported the case which took place on Sunday morning and was not noticed until after the employee in charge of cash noticed the discrepancy between the money present and the money reported.
The theft was immediately signaled to the police, which arrived on the scene. Upon scrutinizing video surveillance, authorities found out that the suspect was dressed in a dark hoodie, and black pants, and wore both a black facemask and sunglasses.
While cameras have been able to capture the man and have pinned his weight to around 200 pounds and height to 5-6 feet, no one has been arrested so far. The case itself is somewhat sparingly detailed in reports.
The Bankers Casino had offered no comment on how it was possible for a stranger to approach the cash location, rifle through, and leave with a significant amount of the turnover. The police have offered no further comment as well. Yet, casino thefts are not all that uncommon even if not put in a cinematic fashion.
In most cases, perpetrators just identify an obvious weakness in staff behavior and take advantage of it. Most of the time, it’s an inside job. Police have not ruled out this being the case here as well.
Protecting Casino’s Cash Is Getting Tougher
Despite the advanced surveillance and security measures, instances of large thefts from casinos are continuing to make headlines. The Monarch Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, was recently the scene of a similar case.
A woman who worked as a cashier, Sabrina Eddy, was charged with stealing more than $500,000. The theft was carried out in a single day with Eddy taking money from the cash location and preparing to leave, as per surveillance coverage. Eddy defended herself and insisted that she had received a call from the casino’s head of operations on the casino phone – or at least someone who knew the number and alleged to be that person.
In the end, it was Eddy who brought back the money, but she called ahead to explain that she had taken the money off the property and confirmed that she was afraid she might be arrested. She was correct, as she remains in custody while the Division of Gaming, police authorities and the casino are investigating the incident.