Defendant in Caesars Palace murder case faces jury trial
Two women arrested in May for a murder at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas have pleaded not guilty to all charges. They opted for a jury trial.
On Wednesday, Las Vegas Judge Tierra Jones scheduled a joint trial for next June for Erika Covington, 20, and Arionna "Ari" Taylor, 21. The pair were charged with murder with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, armed burglary and kidnapping, Las Vegas television station KLAS reported.
The victim, Bryan Altamirano-Solano, 25, was killed on May 15 in a Caesars Palace hotel room. He died from a gunshot wound to the left chest, according to autopsy results released by the Clark County Coroner's Office. The death was ruled a homicide.
The two women were arrested on May 17 and remained in custody at the Clark County Detention Center as of Wednesday.
Being recorded
The three initially met at the Caesars Palace valet around 2:14 a.m. and entered the hotel.
Surveillance video shows Altamirano-Solano holding hands with two suspected killers, KLAS reported. At about 2:35 a.m. on May 15, the three went to the hotel room on the fifth floor. Altamirano-Solano carried a brown bag with him. Half an hour later, the two women were seen running through the hotel corridor. One of the suspects took the same bag.
The women then went to the Linq Hotel, where they got into a white sedan that had been stolen on April 11, Las Vegas TV station KTNV reported.
A butler entered Altamirano-Solano's room at Caesars Palace around 11:30 a.m. She discovered his body and informed security.
Social media leads to arrest
When police searched the room, they found a shell casing stamped "HORNADY." The case is related to a domestic violence incident that occurred on May 10 on South Pecos Road in Las Vegas. Taylor was the victim of the crime, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
According to Las Vegas television station KVVU, the bullet that shot Altamirano-Solano was consistent with a domestic violence incident.
Two suspects were identified based on photos on Taylor's Instagram account, hotel surveillance video and the case. During a subsequent search of a local apartment, police seized a Glock magazine and clothing believed to have been worn by the two women at the hotel.
Covington told police she wanted to speak with an attorney after being asked what happened in the hotel room, KLAS reported. Taylor claimed to have poor memory after the crash and was unable to tell police what happened in the hotel room, authorities said.
The Caesars Palace room was registered to a third, unnamed woman. That night, she and Altamirano-Solano met in a hotel room after being introduced to each other through an app. The two had sex in the room. At 1:30 a.m., he walked with her to the car.
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Source: www.casino.org