New Mexico casino winner violently robbed, suspect jailed
A man and woman arrested over a pistol-whipping and assault of a winner at Sunland Park Racecourse and Casino in April remain jailed this week. John Anthony Brinsfield, 49, and Jamie Marie Cowger, 46, both of Las Cruces, New Mexico, were charged with aggravated robbery.
Coger began stalking the unnamed victim on April 30 after winning $3,500 at a New Mexico gambling establishment, police said.
She left the casino about an hour after winning. The pair then followed them nine miles to a hotel on South Desert Boulevard in El Paso, Texas. As soon as she parked her car at the hotel, she saw another car approaching her in the parking lot.
Brinsfield then exited the vehicle, approached the victim, displayed a gun and demanded her purse, which contained the $3,500 bonus and an additional $700.
Rob escapes in a getaway car
The victim asked Brinsfield to wait so she could remove her phone from her purse. Brinsfield then pointed the gun at the left side of her head and again ordered her to turn her purse over. He then pushed her to the ground and hit her in the face with the gun, police said.
At this point, the victim handed the wallet to Brinsfield. He then fled toward a waiting vehicle, described as a Chevrolet Trailblazer and driven by a second man. According to police, Brinsfield's face was covered by a black mask during the attack.
The victim's injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. The hotel and casino provided surveillance footage to law enforcement officials to help identify the suspect.
Arrest and Bail
Coger, a former teacher in Las Cruces, was arrested Aug. 18 and taken to the El Paso County Jail. Her bail was set at $60,000.
El Paso police arrested Brinfield last month after he was pulled over as a passenger in a vehicle with fake license plates. Police found 285 suspected Fentanyl pills and a firearm inside the vehicle, according to prosecutors.
Brinsfield was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, the El Paso Times reported. He is being held at the El Paso Jail Annex, with bail initially set at $400,000. It was later reduced to $95,000.
Before his arrest, Brinsfield worked as a self-employed construction worker.
The cases of the two suspects have been handed over to local prosecutors.
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Source: www.casino.org
