A convicted felon last week hid a firearm in the parking deck at the Harrah’s Joliet Casino & Hotel in Illinois, police said. The incident took place after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and then fled to the parking facility.
Rashad Owens, 33, of Joliet, was spotted by police and apprehended for the assault on January 12.
A few hours later, casino security found the loaded .38-caliber gun on the deck, Patch reported. The serial number on the firearm was defaced, police said.
Also, he was seen on casino surveillance video hiding the gun on the deck, authorities said.
The incident began on January 11. Police received a report of a domestic dispute in a residence.
Owens allegedly assaulted his girlfriend’s face. During an argument, Owens struck her with a bag filled with various items, police said.
He then allegedly fled the residence and hid in the parking deck.
Later, he was located by police. Officers searched his clothes. Five bullets were discovered, police said.
A few hours later, the firearm was located on the parking deck. Owens was taken to the Will County Adult Detention Facility. He was booked on January 12.
He remained in custody at the jail as of mid-day Thursday of this week. Bail was set at $5,300, according to online jail records.
He was charged with domestic battery, unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, unlawful ammunition possession, defacing identification marks on a gun, and having no firearm owners identification card.
He also was found to have a pending warrant from DuPage County.
The firearm and the bullets were seized by Joliet police, the Herald-News, a Joliet-based newspaper, reported.
Murder Case Pending
In an unrelated incident, Robert Watson is facing a trial for first-degree murder for a violent homicide at the Harriet Joliet.
His criminal trial begins at the Will County Courthouse on February 6.
He remains in custody. Bail was set at $5 million.
The victim was Emanuel “Sam” Burgarino, 76, of Wisconsin. He was stabbed 26 times and robbed.
It took place in March 2019 in a hallway on the hotel’s fifth floor.
Civil Lawsuit
In March, US District Judge Manish Shah rejected Caesars Entertainment’s motion to dismiss a $6 million civil lawsuit brought by Watson.
The judge ruled that Denise Dixon, Burgarino’s fiancée, can sue the casino’s owner, Caesars Entertainment, for negligence.
“Watson suspiciously lurked and stalked patrons on Harrah’s property for hours — in plain view of hotel staff — without checking in, gambling, or buying anything,” Shah explained in her ruling.
“Harrah’s cameras repeatedly recorded him doing so, and Harrah’s did nothing to investigate his presence or prevent the attack on Burgarino.”
Dixon sued the casino operator in February 2021. The judge did grant Caesars’ motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to Dixon, the basis for this complaint was that Harrah’s employees neglected to inform her about the assault and stopped her from proceeding to the fifth floor when she discovered something was wrong.
Burgarino and Dixon had been gambling in the Joliet casino before the stabbing.
Poisoned Food?
Since his arrest, Watson claims food served to him in jail was poisoned. So, he opted to purchase Honey Buns. They are individually wrapped.
He also repeatedly refused to appear in court for pretrial hearings.
Watson’s lawyers had argued he is suffering from schizophrenia. They claim he was mentally incompetent at the time of the killing.
Psychiatrists disagreed on his competency. But ultimately jurors determined he was fit to stand trial.
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