The men were arrested inside Resorts Casino, after a tip from its staff.
Atlantic City police have captured two men suspected of a vicious beating of a gambler at Harrah’s Casino. The 76-year old man from New York City was assaulted as he was enterting his hotel room early Saturday morning at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.
The two assailants wore ski masks when they assaulted the man. As he tried to unlock his hotel room’s door around 5 a.m. the two men are alleged to have pushed him in the room, beat him mercilessly, and taken off with his casino chips. They also took his cellphone, as well as some cash.
The men were on the loose for the better part of the day, leaving some concerned that another assault might take place. After an investigation and manhunt, the men were located not that far away at another casino.
Man Had a Broken Back
When police arrived on the scene at Harrah’s Resort, they learned that the man’s back had been broken in the assault. They called paramedics and rushed him to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. He is still in the hospital at the moment.
Part of the assault was captured on the resort’s surveillance video. That video led to the arrest of the two men, who are being held on $100,000 bond. They have been charged with charged with robbery, aggravated assault, and conspiracy. It is unknown if they have obtained a lawyer yet.
Chester Rose and Chart Chavalporan Arrested
The men being held are 56-year old Chester Rose of Charles City, Virginia and 53-year old Chart Chavalaporan of Philadelphia. Though the men supposedly wore masks during the assault, the video was able to identify them as they made their way to the hotel rooms.
The two men’s photographs were distributed locally, including at the other local casinos. Staff members at Resorts Casino later spotted the men and called in their location. Police arrived and apprehended the men at Resorts Casino.
Harrah’s and Resorts Praised
Police praised the cooperation of Harrah’s Casino and Resorts Casino, saying the two gaming establishments’ cooperation were instrumental in arresting the men. It is unknown if Chester Rose and Chart Chavalaporan were at Resorts Casino to gamble or to find another victim to assault. Given the fact the two men were inside another casino, they might well have been planning a second assault.
Atlantic City casinos devote significant resources to security. Not only do they hire and train their own security staff, but this is often bolstered by hiring off-duty police officers to roam the casino in uniform.
Casino Security
Gamblers usually have little to fear in the way of an assault inside a casino complex. As with any place that has a lot of cash or valuables on hand, an occassional mad dog attack does happen. It is a particularly bad idea, because casinos place many cameras around the premises, in order to discourage gambling.
When an assault happens inside a casino resort, it is assured the casino is going to have video surveillance in the gaming area, in the hotel hallways, and in the parking lot. Men in masks would be spotted immediately, so potential assailants must walk through certain areas without masks. By timing the video scans, police can easily get a picture of a criminal.
They can also get video of their license plate, due to the high number of video cameras in the parking lot. Occasional assaults and carjacking attempts have happened in casino parking lots, so casinos make certain they also video what is outside the gaming area, too. People thinking they can commit crimes inside a casino are likely to get caught.
Contact Information for Local Police
The Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Section has asked for people with information on the assault to come forward. That includes anyone who saw all or part of the attack, those with knowledge of the attack’s planning, or those who saw the assailants escape the hotel or drive away.
To call local authorities, dial the number (609) 347-5766. The share information with the ACPD Criminal Investigations Section via text message, input TIP411 (847411).
