A man was killed in a shooting at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nev. on Saturday morning. Omar Reyes Garcia, 32, was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was tragically pronounced dead soon after arriving for treatment.
Edgar Julian Delgado, 24, had gotten into a dispute with Garcia at the casino’s Center Bar, which led Delgado to pull out a gun and shoot Garcia around 8 a.m. Delgado and Savannah Racquel Tautaupale, 26, were arrested at gunpoint by Eldorado Sheriff’s deputies on a California highway later on.
The two suspects had been at the Hard Rock since at least 2 a.m. that day, and had first met at the bar. Delgado was charged with first-degree murder, while Tautaupale was charged with driving under the influence and being an accessory after the fact. They were both booked at the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office jail in Placerville, Calif. with Delgado held without bail and Tautaupale’s bail set at $250,000.
The shooting resulted in the temporary closure of portions of the casino, as well as Highway 50 in both directions while police searched for the suspects. Every room at the casino was inspected, and guests were ordered to shelter in place. Dotty’s Casino in Stateline was also temporarily shuttered.
An unrelated 2017 killing at the same Hard Rock Hotel & Casino led to the 2019 sentencing of a homeless illegal immigrant, Jose Rodriquez-Quezada, 45, to life in prison for second-degree murder. Rodriquez-Quezada was found guilty in the death of 56-year-old Reno man Kevin Edwards, and will serve 8 to 20 years for the use of a deadly weapon in the crime.
At around noon PT, the Hard Rock announced the re-opening of the casino, stating their gratitude to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies who kept all guests and team members safe.
