Casino Crime Roundup: Iowa Casino Fight Leads to Hospitalization, Dog Drugged at Harrah’s Laughlin

Posted on: March 1, 2023, 02:06h. 

Last updated on: March 3, 2023, 06:10h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A man allegedly kicked a woman in the head and punched her in the face last Thursday. That was shortly after she tossed a drink at him at Iowa’s Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo.

Iowa’s Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo
Iowa’s Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, pictured above. The casino was the site of an assault where a man allegedly punched and kicked a woman. She suffered numerous injuries. (Image: Booking.com)

The man, Nersius Adonliel Artisani, 50, of Waterloo, Iowa, was arrested while still in the casino. He was charged with willful injury causing serious injury. His bail was set at $25K.

The incident began when the woman threw the drink at Artisani while the two were on the gaming floor. He then waited for her to exit the casino, and once outside, he allegedly assaulted her and kicked her when she was on the ground, police said.

The woman suffered a broken jaw, broken facial bones, missing teeth, and a cut on her ear, according to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier newspaper. She was initially taken to Iowa’s MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center before being transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for specialized care.

Police didn’t release a motive for the dispute.

Man Allegedly Fed Dog Vodka in Laughlin

An Arizona man was arrested on Sunday after allegedly giving his small dog vodka, aspirin, and orange juice at the Harrah’s Del Rio Hotel and Casino in Laughlin, Nev.

The dog was lethargic and couldn’t walk after ingesting the mixture, Las Vegas TV station KSNV reported based on police reports.

The suspect, James Schulte, was charged with willful/malicious torture to kill a dog/cat/animal. He was booked at the Tucker Holding Facility before being transferred to the Clark County Detention Center, where he remained in custody on Wednesday.

Before the incident, customers at a casino store on Saturday reported that Schulte was carrying the dog, and he told them the animal was dying. He said he was going to “put him in the river when he died,” KSNV reported. Schulte allegedly gave the dog four 500 mg aspirin tablets, the report added. He denied that accusation.

Schulte said the dog had a seizure three weeks ago and claimed he was attempting to make it comfortable. Once the dog died, he planned to place it in a river so it could float to Mexico, the report said.

Poker Player Fatally Shot in Harlem

Bryan Cummings, 40, of New York City, was shot and later died on Tuesday while playing poker in a Harlem apartment. Cummings was hit in the torso, the New York Daily News reported. He was rushed to nearby Harlem Hospital, where he died a few hours later while undergoing treatment.

Before the shooting, Cummings got into a dispute with one or more of the other poker players in the apartment. There were a half-dozen people at the poker table at the time. Each was either in their 40s or 50s, the Daily News reported.

Cops in the apartment found a .9-mm shell casing.

Police don’t know what caused the dispute, nor do they know who fired the gun. Cummings was a member of the Bloods street gang, according to police.