Pair Accused of Arson at 3 Las Vegas Strip Casinos

Posted on: May 1, 2023, 06:29h. 

Last updated on: May 2, 2023, 12:07h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas.

Two people face arson charges for allegedly setting fires at three Las Vegas Strip resorts last week, according to documents uncovered by KLAS-TV. Amber Crow, 40, and Daniel Rodriguez, 21, were arrested on Saturday morning and remain in custody, according to the report.

Smoke fills the air as a firefighting vehicle leaves the scene of a fire at Horseshoe Las Vegas on Friday night. (Image: KTNV-TV)

The couple — who also face burglary charges — are accused of starting the two-alarm fire that sent 11 engines, three trucks, one heavy rescue, five rescues, four chief officers, and two investigators screaming to the Indigo Tower at Horseshoe Las Vegas at 8:50 p.m. Friday, April 28. Police say security footage shows a man and woman entering the casino matching their descriptions.

When firefighters arrived, according to a press release from the Clark County Fire Department, they found a small fire behind a vending machine on the 19th floor, apparently set with a lit diaper. They credited the sprinklers the fire activated with keeping it contained. Some victims sought medical attention at the scene, but none requested transportation to a hospital.

Earlier that day, at 7 a.m., police said, the same couple set two fires inside the Flamingo – one in the lobby, the other in front of an upper-floor hotel room. It was unclear how the couple entered areas restricted to hotel guests.

The couple allegedly started their arson spree with a fire on Wednesday near a bus stop at Caesars Palace, police said.

There were no reports of firefighter injuries at any fire.

Liar, Liar…

Police arrested Crow and Rodriguez at the Caesars Palace valet at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, they said. Each blamed the other for setting the fires.

Daniel indicated Amber usually set fires after they argued, but she did not have any grievances or expouse [sic] any extremist ideologies,” KLAS-TV quoted the arrest report.

The fire at the Horseshoe was not only the biggest; it also caused the most anxiety. The Indigo Tower was the site of the deadliest fire in Nevada history when it was part of the original MGM Grand Hotel. Eighty-five people were killed there on November 12, 1980, after an electrical fire started in a restaurant on the casino’s ground floor and spread to what was then its only tower.

The Indigo Tower became part of Bally’s in 1986 and Horseshoe in 2022.