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DNA on baseball cap led police to suspect accused in serial casino robberies, arrest report reveals

Casino Robber
Posted at 1:40 PM, Apr 26, 2023
and last updated 2023-04-27 02:20:35-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The suspect accused in a series of cage robberies is now behind bars after targeting six casinos over the past five months, a new report reveals.

33-year-old D'Shante Styles was taken into custody by Las Vegas Metro Police on April 20, after eluding law enforcement for several months. Styles was connected to several casino robberies, the first dating back to November 2022, after police reviewed surveillance footage that showed the suspect wearing similar clothing across each incident.

Additionally, the report indicates that Styles presented several similar notes to the cashier during each robbery. During the first three robberies, investigators say Styles presented a note that read, “Put the 10 stacks in the bag or I will shoot!” During the fourth and fifth robberies, Styles would then change the note to read, “Give me the stacks or I will shoot you!”

Police were eventually able to take Styles into custody after his DNA was found on a black baseball hat found at the scene of a robbery at the M Resort the day before. Police also reviewed casino surveillance footage and confirmed Styles as the same man who carried out previous robberies after he was observed wearing the same black hat.

The report says police apprehended Styles after locating him in the parking lot of Dotty's near Desert Inn and McLeod Drive, driving an unregistered Hyundai Sonata.

Detectives also found a semi-automatic handgun in the front seat and a black jacket similar to the one worn in the casino robberies, the report says. A $10,000 money strap was also located, which detectives determined to be similar to the straps on stacks of bills stolen from a casino.

Styles reportedly carried out six robberies from Nov. 16, 2022, to April 19, 2023. They claim he robbed casino cages at theGold Coast Hotel and Casino, Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa and Casino, Silverton Casino Hotel, Rampart Casino, Palace Station Hotel and Casino, and the M Resort.

According to the report, police received reports of a car stolen from the valet area at The Orleans Hotel and Casino on Nov. 16. Evidence at the scene indicated that a guest at the hotel had walked away from his running car, with the door left open.

That's when detectives say Styles jumped in the car and drove away.

Police would also receive a report of a robbery at Gold Coast Casino soon after, where Styles was observed "pacing in front of the casino cage" with a hood on. A security guard in the casino would later tell police that he had approached Styles to ask him to remove his hood, but left soon after Styles became "confrontational."

Styles then approached the casino cage and handed a note to the cashier, who then handed Styles approximately $30,000 before he fled. Police say the stolen vehicle was found by police about three hours later, near West Reno Avenue and South Edmond Street.

One month later, Henderson Police would be dispatched to the scene of a similar robbery on Dec. 12 at the Green Valley Ranch Casino.

Detectives determined that prior to the robbery, a vehicle was stolen by a man — later identified as Styles — pretending to be a valet at Palms Place. About three hours later, Styles would rob the main casino cage at the Green Valley Ranch Casino.

According to the arrest report, detectives noticed similarities between this incident and the Gold Coast robbery due to the suspect's description, the proximity between where the vehicles were stolen and recovered, and the note he passed the cage employee.

The vehicle was found the next day near South Wynn Road and West Viking Road.

Police would investigate two additional robberies of a similar nature at the Silverton Casino on Dec. 20 and the Rampart Casino on Dec. 24.

The report says Styles would take a taxi to the Silverton Casino and get away with more than $10,000. Styles would then steal a car from an apartment complex after he found the keys inside the vehicle, which he would use to rob the Rampart Casino and get away with $3,500.

The arrest report also detailed another robbery at Palace Station on Jan. 16, in which Styles approached the casino cage and "demanded $10,000 straps or else he would shoot employees."

Detectives would later find that Styles had stolen the vehicle after approaching a man for help with a "flat tire." After the man got out of his vehicle to help, Styles gestured at the man "like he had a gun" and told the man to give him his keys, according to the report.

On April 19, Styles would steal another vehicle from a woman who was unloading various items from her car by grabbing the keys, which were hanging off her backpack.

Henderson Police Department would then be dispatched around 11:15 p.m. to the M Resort, where witnesses observed Styles once again approach the casino cage.

Later that night, an LVMPD officer would observe Styles walking away from the stolen vehicle and attempt to apprehend him, but the officer eventually lost sight of him.

Styles would be arrested on April 20 and booked on over 60 charges related to the casino robberies including multiple counts of robbery, attempted robbery, grand larceny, and burglary.

According to police records, Styles was also previously convicted of four robbery counts after committing at least 13 separate robberies in 2009.

He is scheduled to appear in court on May 9.