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Caught On Camera: Riverside Woman Robbed At Gunpoint After Winning At Morongo Casino

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — A 68-year-old Riverside woman was robbed at gunpoint in the driveway of her home after winning big at the Morongo Casino.

The victim, who did not want to be identified, said that in the 12 years she's lived in her upscale neighborhood, she has never locked her doors because she said she always felt safe — but she said that's all changed now.

Security video from the home showed the woman pulling up into her driveway around 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 18. She was on her phone as she got out of the vehicle, and that's when an armed man in a dark hoodie with white gloves runs up to her pointing the gun at her and demanding her purse.

"I said, 'Hey, do you want the car? Just please, whatever you want, just take it,'" she said.

The woman was returning from Morongo Casino after winning $3,000. She said she believes she was targeted as she was leaving the casino.

"I believe I was followed," she said. "Where was I coming from? A casino. Why in the world, in the middle of the afternoon at 1:30 in broad daylight, someone just waiting for me pulls up and robs me?"

The Riverside grandmother and business owner said she wants casinos to watch more carefully when people win to make sure they're not followed.

"The only reason that I am coming forward and making this public is so that everybody else starts paying attention to what's going on around them so it doesn't happen again," she said.

In a statement, a Morongo spokesperson said they did not find evidence that the woman was followed, but that the casino was cooperating with police "A thorough internal review of surveillance video showing the guests movements on the day in question has not revealed any evidence of a suspect or the suspect vehicle. Regardless, we will continue to work with authorities to determine if this matter is related to our location or an unconnected crime of opportunity in the guests's neighborhood."

Riverside police said they are actively looking for a male suspect in the armed robbery. According to the woman, he was last seen driving away in a dark Honda Civic with paper plates.

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