Casino Crime News: California Police Seek Woman Wanted for Theft After Man Claims She Sat on His Lap

Posted on: April 17, 2025, 07:18h. 

Last updated on: April 17, 2025, 09:40h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • California police allege a woman pickpocketed a man at a tribal casino
  • Casinos continue to warn the public about online casino scams
  • Casino players should be vigilant when gambling

Police in California are seeking the public’s help in identifying and locating a woman alleged to have carried out a brazen theft inside a California tribal casino resort.

California police theft crime
California police believe this unidentified woman sat on a man’s lap at a slot machine inside Tachi Palace Casino Resort where she pickpocketed him. Her whereabouts are unknown after allegedly making off with $3,000 in cash. (Image: Kings County Sheriff’s Office)

The Kings County Sheriff’s Office says a man gambling on a slot machine at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore on March 31 reported that a woman approached him and tried to sell him jewelry. After he denied her ask, he alleges the woman sat on his lap and hugged him.

After she left, the man claims he realized he was missing a wad of cash from his pants pocket. He says she made off with about $3,000. The incident occurred just after 5 p.m.

In reviewing surveillance video from the casino, police said the man’s account seemed to add up. The woman in question was seen leaving the casino where she changed her clothes in the parking lot before driving off in a black Mercedes SUV.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Kings County Sheriff’s Office at 559-584-9276.

Tachi Palace Casino Warns Public 

Tachi Palace is a California tribal casino owned and operated by the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria. Opened in November 1983 as a bingo hall, the property has grown over the decades to become a premier Indian destination for Californians living between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The casino’s 140K-square-foot casino floor has over 2,000 slot machines and dozens of live dealer table games. The resort offers a 255-room hotel, 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a full-service spa, a concert hall where A-list acts perform, seven full-service restaurants, and two bars and lounges.

Tachi Palace’s prominence in Central California has led to the property being targeted by online casinos that operate offshore illegally. Like many other notable casino destinations across the country, including MGM’s Beau Rivage, Golden Nugget, and Caesars’ new resort in Virginia, Tachi Palace recently warned the public that it cannot and does not operate online casino games.

Social media posts have popped up claiming otherwise, advertising Tachi Palace’s online casino platform with a $1,500 welcome bonus.

These scam ads are not affiliated with us in any way,” said Rojelio Morales, Tachi Palace’s marketing director. “Tachi Palace Casino Resort does not offer any online gaming platform or downloadable app for use in other states. Any post or advertisement that claims otherwise is a scam, and we urge our guests to avoid engaging with them.”

Tachi Palace says it has asked Meta to remove the fraudulent posts from Facebook and Instagram. 

97-Year-Old Woman Targeted

In other crime news, police in Cincinnati say 64-year-old David Grubbs, address unknown, took advantage of a 97-year-old woman while she played the slots at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati on April 1.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich alleges that Grubbs sat down at a machine next to the elderly woman and asked to use her cell phone. When she obliged, he fled with her mobile device.

I do not tolerate taking advantage of anyone, let alone a 97-year-old woman,” Pillich said.

Fortunately, Grubbs left his casino player’s card in the slot he was playing, so police were able to quickly locate and arrest him. He was subsequently charged with theft from an elderly person and aggravated possession of drugs after police also discovered narcotics.