Bring Your Gun to Work Day: The Soboba Casino Heist

It was just like Ocean's 11...except instead of a stylish crew of longtime pro criminals, it was a guy with a BB gun and another in a Ford Mustang. And instead of the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas, it was Riverside County, California. And instead of jetting off to Europe to hide, the criminals holed up in a Motel 6. So maybe it wasn't just like Oceans 11 when Rolando Ramos and Eric Aguilera went to work at a casino and robbed their employer. But they felt like it was. And that's ridiculous.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ridiculous crime. It's a production of iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
A Elizabeth Saren oh Man.

Speaker 3 (00:06):
So good to see you.

Speaker 4 (00:07):
It's good to see you.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
I got a question why you're here? Do you know
what's ridiculous?

Speaker 4 (00:11):
I do? Okay, I have a mashup for you. Don't
get mad. Blame Alana from Instagram.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
He runs such a good run. He started strong and
she's right into.

Speaker 4 (00:20):
The Hey, so listen. This exciting collaboration brings together two
names that stand for grit, reliability and performance under pressure.
Now you know that cal Rawley.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, the baseball Yeah, he's been like sixty home runs.

Speaker 4 (00:39):
Yeah, he's a he's a good, big.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Sabnth person to do sixty home runs in a season.

Speaker 4 (00:43):
He was the first catcher to win the home run Derby.
Oh look at him, Look at look at little boy.
Anyway he is he has a collab.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Is it about his dumper?

Speaker 4 (00:55):
It is?

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Is it? Really?

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (00:58):
Let me read you the first reach the beginning of
this press release. Honeybucket, a leader in portable sanitation services,
is proud to announce a new partnership with Seattle's powerhouse
catcher and fan favorite all star Cal Rawley, affectionately known
as big dumper. So you know what honeybucket isside? Uh, no,

(01:24):
the or the honeybucketyeah.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Honeywagon honey bucket.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
Yeah, and so, uh they're collaborating, you know, whether it's
behind the plate or behind the scenes at construction sites,
community events, and stadiums. Both Raleigh and Honeybuckets share one mission,
deliver when it counts. What is this collab? Right? How
does one collab.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Finally got one? I'm curious about all right.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
As part of the partnership, fans can expect appearances. Just
you go to he shows, you know, a college football game,
and there's porta potties and you open and he pops out.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
It's like, do you want to use the dumper?

Speaker 4 (02:06):
Did you want to talk to the dump pilet? He?
I was going to say some horrible design that was
like delight on my face. Anyway, Appearances, exclusive content, and
promotional campaigns all centered around changing expectations for what people
can expect from portable restrooms.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
So curious that sentence. Well, here's here's the thing people
can expect from.

Speaker 4 (02:34):
This announced in July, and they're like, oh, we'll have
more for you later. They have merch so you can
get like shirts, baby onesies and sweatshirts with It's this
picture we'll put it on Instagram of him coming out
of a port potty with giving the thumbs up.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
The thumbs up. I thought he had a drink in
his hands.

Speaker 4 (02:53):
No, he's got his thumbs up. Like I did it, Mom,
I wiped myself and you're like, I do it myself, sweetie.
Did you wash your hands? No, go back and wash
your hands. So they have that. They also you can
get like a jersey, a baseball jersey that says honeybucket
on the front.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Wow, I'm a big dumper on the dumper on.

Speaker 4 (03:11):
The back, which I think you need.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
I think we both need. And yeah, I do want
a sticker for my hard hat.

Speaker 4 (03:18):
Okay, honey dumper, dumper, the honey honey bucket. That's big dumper. Okay,
well yeah, let's work on that. Anyway. That's ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
You did it, Elizabeth. You finally came up with a mashup.
But I actually enjoyed. I felt.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
No, I'm not going to take credit because in the
beginning I was shifting blame to Alana on Instagram. But
I'm going to now I'm going to give her the credit,
not the blame.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
That was beautiful job girl. Well, hey, sit back down,
do you I got a.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
Question for you? Also, it's done for today.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
I got something for you that's ridiculous. Do you want
to hear about it? I get okay, So imagine like
robbing a casino.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
I could see myself doing that, because basic.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
You want to be a real life Danny Ocean. Oh yeah, yeah,
mostly because you have a hard time separating fact from
fiction and movies from the real world.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
This is this is me. You're talking about me.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
You love this.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
This is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast about absurd and outrageous capers, heists,
and cons. It's always ninety nine percent murder free and
one hundred percent what one hundred percent? What? One hundred
percent ridiculous?

Speaker 4 (04:46):
What?

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (04:47):
I came in late Elizabeth.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
I have a story today for you about a casino heist.
I love it right fun. Yeah, it's like, hey, no harm,
no foul, I'm just robbing this place thing exactly. Rob's
Retirees twenty four.

Speaker 4 (05:03):
And it used to be that you'd be robbing the mob,
but now you're robbing corporations my favorite thing.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Totally, and the mob is now corporations merge together. As
we've seen time and time again, the crimers who pull
off casino robberies were often inspired by movies. So that's
like a lot of the robberies we see people who
do bank jobs are inspired by the movies. Well, this one,
they didn't go with a movie by Michael Mann and
his like graduate level program of how to become a criminal. Instead,

(05:31):
they went with something they were inspired by George Clooney
and Brad Pitt and is Always Eating in the Ocean's
Eleven's movies. Now, before we get into this, though, I
need to go over a little backstory. Okay, quick question.

Speaker 4 (05:43):
I love backstory. PS.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
I know you do, That's why I did it. Thank
you for you. Quick question. Have you ever heard of
the Suboba Casinoba? It sounds like a character from Star Wars,
like Suburbo Casino, but it sounds.

Speaker 4 (05:58):
Like one of those app video games. Yeah, total that
We would read an ad for that, like you win, like.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Like stars and.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
Fts of Boba Tea. That's all you in, but it
costs you money somehow you're paying for It's not a casino,
but it's called casino. And we read these ads and
we're happy to do. So everybody, I just need to say,
are they listening? They were so happy?

Speaker 2 (06:26):
So Boba Casino. It's a real place. It's located here
in California. Boba so Boba Casino. It's rocated Riverside County. Okay,
you may be thinking, no, wait a minute, is there?
So how is there a casino in Riverside County when
casino style gambling isn't legal in California?

Speaker 4 (06:41):
Right? It is?

Speaker 2 (06:42):
But I know you know this. Here in California, while
casino gambling is illegal, we do have Indian casinos. We
do which are legal. Why because they're on in Indian reservation.
They got their own rules and laws because of that,
which is why down in Riverside County, where they gave
a large amount of land to reservations, there are number
of Indian gaming casinos. Because I know you're curious, list,

(07:04):
I am so curious, and you have many questions. I
have so many, I have many answers.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
Awesome.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
Well, like, for instance, I went and I looked up
how many Indian reservations there are in Riverside County because
I remember, I'm like, what, there's like this casino and
that casino I looked it up for you because I
didn't want to be like, how many are there's there?

Speaker 4 (07:19):
I didn't know.

Speaker 2 (07:20):
So there's the Agua Caliente Casino Resort SPA in Rancho Mirage, right,
and then there's the Spa Resort casino and Palm Springs.
Those are both casinos from the Agua Caliente Band of
Coahuila Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. Yes, there's
also the Augustine Casino and Coachella. That's a casina that
belongs to the Augustine Band of Coahuila Indians of the

(07:40):
Augustine Reservation. Then there's a Spotlight twenty nine casino that's
also in Coachella, which belongs to the twenty nine Palms
Band of Mission Indians of California. Then there's the Fantasy
Springs Resort casino nearby Indio, which belongs to the Cabazon
Band of Mission Indians. Of course, we can't leave out
the Big Dog Marongo Casino resort and SPA in Cabazon

(08:01):
before the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. And then the
other Big Dog Pachanga Resort at casino in Temecula. That
one belongs to the Pachanga Band of Luisino Mission Indians
at the Pachanga Reservation. And then there's also the Kauela
Casino in Aza, which belongs to the Quila Band of Indians.
And then lastly there's sub Boba Casino in San Jacinto
which belongs to the sub Boba Land of Yes of

(08:22):
Luisino Indians. That's the spot I want to tell you
about today.

Speaker 4 (08:26):
Got it?

Speaker 2 (08:27):
Now? You may be thinking that is there that's a
lot of casinos in one county. Sure, the Riverside Panty
is huge, and it would be right, that is still
a lot. Yeah, but that's nothing because according to the
California Gambling Control Commission, I look this up, as of
twenty twenty five, there are seventy six Indian casinos and
five mini casinos in the state of California, and they

(08:47):
are owned by seventy three of the states one hundred
and nine tribes.

Speaker 4 (08:50):
Seventy six.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, and in case you're also wondering of those seventy
three tribes, they have a deal where they for the
ones who don't own casinos, they have a revenue sharing program.
So all one hundred and nine tribes benefit from the
seventy three Indians casinos in five mini casinos. Guess how
much it brings in a year in revenue.

Speaker 4 (09:08):
Oh, I'm terrified to know.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Nine billion dollars billion with a B. Yes, there's nothing
to sneeze at. And that's what I want to tell you.
Today's stories about some brash crimers got the idea we
just get our hands on the piece of those sweet,
sweet billions. Oh no, right, So back to the Saboba Casino.
Since are you familiar with the Suboba casino at all?

Speaker 4 (09:29):
Never heard of it?

Speaker 2 (09:29):
Let me familiarize you up here the Cash Creek. Oh yeah,
that's up here.

Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah, up here, that's one I'm from. And there's one
in like.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
San Pablo, Yeah, San Pablo.

Speaker 4 (09:38):
Yeah, a huge chunk out of Vegas.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
Well some of them, also, you'll see, are just card rooms,
but they're called casinos. Okay, I'll bring that later.

Speaker 4 (09:48):
They don't have sports book.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
There don't have sports book. I don't know. The card
rooms don't have sports book. And they usually don't have
table games. It's it's like or sorry. Slot machines have
limited table games. According to the web about Suboba Casino Resort,
it quote offers spectacular views of the Santa Cinto Mountains
and is located just outside the city of the Santa
Cinto and hemet hemmet was the last time you were

(10:12):
in hemt Elizabeth? How about dogs? How about Santa Sinta.
I have you've been down there recently? Just eighty five
miles east of LA for those I don't know, but yeah.

Speaker 4 (10:21):
I haven't been down there in a long time, but
you know, I know people there.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
That's what I was thinking. I thought, Yeah, now, this
property that I'm describing, the Suboba Casino, is four hundred
and seventy four square foot property.

Speaker 4 (10:32):
I do need to mention though, like if you're not
familiar with the area, it is very arid. Oh yeah,
there's like very little vegetation.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
No, yeah, it's it's desert. It's higher desert, dry mountains.
Like just it's not that far. I mean it looks
a lot like outside of Vegas.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yeah, for California, mileage eighty five miles isn't a lot. Yeah,
that's hour to say. It's like eighty five from LA.
It doesn't resemble Los Angeles writ large in any.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
No, not at all. Like nothing. It is the complete
desert like you would see in a Warner Brothers cartoon. Yes, yes,
now it's this property situated on over two hundred acres, Elizabeth,
and the resort features quote a first class casino, a hotel,
and a PGA rated golf course.

Speaker 4 (11:15):
Oh, which is exactly what you want in the desert.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
Right standing out there in his bashion.

Speaker 4 (11:19):
Balls have plenty of water here.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Now, I know you don't golf, but it is still fun,
and so I should point out you could dress up
like a golf and just walk around. Oh yeah, I
was on at that PGA rated golf course you have here. Yeah,
but if you're wondering what else is there to do?
Is there got answers for you, Elizabeth? At this sixth
story resort, it offers luxury amenities. And when it comes
to gambling, which you don't do, quote, with more than

(11:41):
twenty one hundred slots and numerous table games, the Boba
Casino Resort has more than foury six hundred nineteen jackpot winners.
Oh each month.

Speaker 4 (11:50):
Now do they have like a cocktail round called the
nineteenth Hole? But that is always I would, But they
have slots, My brother, you know, when you're Invegas, because
we've got family there and we like and they have
those signs about how there are casinos with.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Loose slots and slots and.

Speaker 4 (12:06):
So my brother always says it in like an Eastern
Europe and accent of like does they have loose sluts?

Speaker 2 (12:11):
Tell me you have a casino is loose sluts? That's
fun in this place is like JV Vegas kind of scenery.
You know, it's like if you're not if you're not
ready for Vegas, you can go here.

Speaker 4 (12:24):
Okay, understand, we.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
Get my game together. So back to the resources website quote.
When you're ready for a break from the gaming tables
or slot machines, you can enjoy a game of golf
at the spectacular so Boba Springs golf course with waterfalls
and streams to enhance their experience because it's in the desert.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
Water does have a lazy river that you can like
slow while people are playing.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
Golf, just going past games.

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Or I love a lazy river except for people pee
in them?

Speaker 2 (12:53):
What the lazy rivers?

Speaker 4 (12:55):
Don't you think?

Speaker 2 (12:56):
I assume people pae in any large body of water, right,
so I.

Speaker 4 (12:59):
Don't mind like the pee away whatever.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, got a movement, but like the ur, it's not
getting to you.

Speaker 4 (13:06):
Yeah, But the lazy river.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
You're just down river of the warm urinecoming at you.
Is that what you're saying? A leaky body thing today?

Speaker 4 (13:13):
So about the leaky body today?

Speaker 2 (13:15):
Well, if you wanted to today relax in one of
the hotel suites, we offer breathtaking views of the Santacento Valley.
You like mountains, Elizabeth, we talked about this dry, dusty,
bleak mountains.

Speaker 4 (13:27):
That's my favorite is going to the mountains.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
You know, skip the mountains. What about the hotel suites?

Speaker 4 (13:31):
Could you please tell me about.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
The bang up question? I'm so happy you asked me.

Speaker 4 (13:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:34):
According to this resort's website, which I did look up,
each suite offers a taste of luxury with a wet bar,
dining room, and sunken soaking tub. It's just a few
of the unique amenities to create an oasis during your stay.
Once again, selling water, they're really pushing water. I know
it's the desert, but we got plenty of water.

Speaker 4 (13:53):
Please tell me they don't have the doors in the hotels,
which I'm seeing more and more now. I like the
barn door.

Speaker 2 (13:59):
For the bathroom, for the bathroom, I don't know the.

Speaker 4 (14:02):
Door you don't get to close the door.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
Yeah no, and there's like all that air going.

Speaker 4 (14:05):
Around the side. You're just sliding everything that's going on.
And then yeah, and then you have to like hear
people in there, and then sometimes there's a shower, but
like no door.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
I want a bathroom door, like a Mercedes car door,
like it's want to be in. Yeah, I don't hear
what's going on outside the car or inside the bathroom.

Speaker 4 (14:23):
I'm alone in the hotel room.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
Of course. That's what I'm talking about.

Speaker 4 (14:27):
In a little capsule.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
So uh oh yeah, So okay, since you're staying open
minded and this is this is an unpaid advertisement casino
and they didn't tell me to say.

Speaker 4 (14:39):
Any of that little suspicious right, but.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Quote, after a long night of play in the casino,
you can spend the day by the hotel pool, which
includes poolside bar and grill. And for added convenience, see.

Speaker 4 (14:50):
They swim up bars also once.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
Again pushing water.

Speaker 4 (14:53):
That's a lot of peeing, you know. You see I've
seen the people who use this bar.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah they probably do.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
Like, yeah, I love this weekend golf.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
I've got loose slots.

Speaker 4 (15:06):
I'm really enjoying this Suboba casino. Ridiculous crime mash Well.

Speaker 2 (15:10):
To be fair, I also did check the reviews because
I wonder. I didn't want them to just tell me.
I want to hear what someone who's been there. It's
like a little more honest. So on trip Advisor I
found users CJ eleven as in Land Air or c J.

Speaker 3 (15:24):
So yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
They wrote a review back in August of twenty twenty one,
so rather recent but not totally recent. And they're local.
They're from Riverside, and I made sure that they weren't
like somebody who was faking it, like worked for the casino.
They have fifty six contributions seventy eight helpful votes. They
are a trip Advisor power user Elizabeth I love I
don't think this is funny, but anyway, CJ. They wrote
a review with the title I loved it, but totally

(15:49):
automatic tension.

Speaker 4 (15:50):
You're like, I love my pupil stylist.

Speaker 2 (15:52):
Story goes in two directions right off the bat, so
they commented quote this casino hotel was great. I got
early check in. The room was nice. I don't know
why they only have doubles in the Queen's room, but
the food was good and reasonable. Everything was clean, the
slots were loose. I won four hundred dollars housekeeping. The
front desk were friendly, so that all sounds good. Where's
the butt part?

Speaker 4 (16:12):
Yeah, where's the dumper?

Speaker 2 (16:15):
So well, back to CJ eleven. They also wrote that
here's where I had a few problems. Number one was
the pool. Now, this pool is beautiful and spacious, and
it has a bar and a grill. Problem was the kids.
Why are kids in an adult pool in a casino.
They were loud and squirting water guns at each other,
and when I went to the other side of the pool,
they migrated over there. I came here to get away
from my own kids. Loll oh, girl, I've been there,

(16:39):
but usually I was the cave up the square gun.
But I've been there, I were late CJ eleven. She
also had complaints about the hotel security guard. They asked
the couple to show their room keys despite having pool wristbands,
and this really bothered CJ eleven. They reviewed it as quote,
what the hell I paid good money to stay there,
and that's how we get treated. There was an older
lady walking behind us, and he didn't question her at all.

(17:03):
I'm not sure old lady should get hassled to is
really the argument I go for my review, but what
do I know? I don't write Cassina reviews anyway. CJ
eleven's final complaint was about the pool bar and how
their husband purchased four canned drinks but they only received two. Right,
So don't worry, Elizabeth. They got it all started at
CJ eleven report in the morning, like Eduardo was very

(17:24):
kind and made sure we were not charged. Now, for me,
the key point to this review is how the security
guard was on it to check the guests to ensure
they had room case more so than we got our
bud lights and reimbursed. So but that's the whole point
the security guard, because that brings us to the crimers
of today, because those were the same security guards that

(17:45):
the heistman would take advantage of when they decided to
rob this joint. Oh, I mean, like when these folks
weren't properly hassling guests, how would they fare when they
were confronted with a casino heist.

Speaker 4 (17:56):
That's the big dogs me see your.

Speaker 2 (17:57):
Wrist key or whatever whatever that is. Let's take a
little break, Elizabeth, and after these pipe on hot advertisements
fresh out of the oven, we'll get to the heist. Yes,

(18:26):
we're back, Elizabeth. Yeah, you're finally ready to get to
this casino heist.

Speaker 4 (18:30):
Not really, I'd like to hear more.

Speaker 2 (18:33):
Well, first off, I need to introduce you to a
twenty five year old Rolando Ramos aka the mastermind.

Speaker 4 (18:40):
Oh.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
Rolando Ramos had worked at the casino for about two years.
He was responsible for maintaining the casino resorts video surveillance cameras,
of which there are many.

Speaker 4 (18:49):
He was the eyes of SBS.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, exactly. Now, he knew where all the blind spots were,
obviously because he kne where the cameras where he fixed him.
And then there was his partner in crime, literally twenty
three year old Eric Aguilera. He was a security guard
at the casino resort also, and between both fellows work
at the Suboba Casino, and that means this was an
inside job.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
God bless.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
Now, between the two of them, they had an exhaustive
understanding of all the inner workings of this place. Right,
they know how this casino operates, and that would be key, right,
I mean, they know how to beat themselves. They're trying
to stop this exact thing all day long. So all
day long they're practicing. How could I rob this place? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (19:29):
Yeah, so mine wanders totally.

Speaker 2 (19:31):
It's a nice little hobby daydream about like if I
was robbing me, Yeah, I beat me, I'll admit.

Speaker 4 (19:38):
Sometimes I sit here and I think, like, how would
I break into Zern's car when he's not paying attention?
How would I pickpocket Dave? And then it's like all
of a sudden that the commercials are on.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
What open crap?

Speaker 4 (19:51):
I have no idea what I just told me?

Speaker 2 (19:55):
So you've met now met the our robbers or crimers
of the day, Rolando Ramo and Eric Aguilera.

Speaker 3 (20:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (20:01):
Now, Rolando was a local from Hemmett. He seems he
had some personal reasons for choosing to pull this heist.
You see Elizabeth Rolando had declared bankruptcy the year prior. Yeah,
that was due to personal loans and a car loan
that was delinquent. A bunch of people were after him
for loans. Yeah, he also has his one friend described
it he was despondent about a recent breakup with his girlfriend.

(20:21):
So yeah, he rob the bank about it? A Robert
Corsino big you know, like go take someone else's stuff,
you lost something, take something.

Speaker 4 (20:28):
Do a couple like vague postings on Facebook.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
Of course you gotta let people know, you know, like emo.

Speaker 4 (20:35):
Stuff and you know, get in your feels and then
go rob casino.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
Well, he got his friend, Eric Aguilera, his work friend,
I think, who was the younger of the pair of
the twenty three year old. He's also from a nearby hemmet.
Did he get dumped too, No, No, he had a girlfriend,
living girlfriend. They had two children together. He had a
much more stable situation, so he didn't have the same
personal reasons to pull off the casino heist.

Speaker 4 (20:57):
He had personal reasons to not.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
Yeah, maybe he did. Maybe children. The living girlfriend was like,
you know, we need to get a bigger place, and
he's like, I'll rob my work. I don't know. These
diapers are expensive.

Speaker 4 (21:07):
Being the kid is like nine months old, but can
suddenly speak and in the middle of the night climbs
into the bed and Eric he's like, no, I'm dad. Nopes, Eric,
he robbed the casino.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, I'm going to I'm a prodigy for the I
feel and I'm gonna need some expensive musical guys.

Speaker 4 (21:25):
We're glowing. Oh, I like this had long nails.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
Does he do any like thing dancing, climb on.

Speaker 4 (21:31):
The ceiling, and he went back to his crib and
was normal, you're so careful, I was there. It happened.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
So for weeks, possibly months, this pair they cased this joint.
And when I say the joint, I mean the casino
where they worked.

Speaker 4 (21:42):
They just went to work.

Speaker 2 (21:43):
Because eventually they're satisfied they know how to rob the place,
how to beat their own system, so they pick a
day for their robbery, August second, two thousand and seven.
The plan is simple, Elizabeth. The two men would drive
to work like they did most days. Then they take
Rolando's Ford Mustang. Only Aguilera would be the one driving,
and since you know he was gonna be the getaway driver,
he would drive and then he would drop off Orlando
at the casino for work, and then he'd drive around

(22:06):
the surrounding neighborhood around the casino until he got like
a text from Ramos like hey man, I'm done, pick
me up. I robbed the place. So come August second,
they'd exactly what they do. They're like, let's put the
plan into action. Fateful day, Aguile drops off Orlando Ramos
at work. Then he drives off nervously waits for that
text to come in as he's circling the casino in
a Ford Mustang at like four in the morning.

Speaker 4 (22:28):
Oh not suspicious.

Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yeah, it's still dark outside, right. So at the casino,
Orlando Ramos, he walks in like he does most other
mornings for the last two years, right, just like he's
worked there. He shows up wearing his uniform. He's got
his Cascino Resort ID badge. He's wearing his trusty tool
belt because you know, he fixed his cameras like screwdriver, ratchet, bratchet,
all the whole bit, right, except for this day, he'd
shut up to work, unlike the last two years. Within

(22:53):
his tool belt, he's concealed a handgun, rolls of duct tape,
and a container of pepper spray. Oh yeah, spicy, that's
very So. Once he's on the property, Rolando, he walks
over to the security trailer, which you normally we do.
Once again, now we're like four fifteen in the morning,
and the security trailer's just one man, the security manager,
the boss. Right, he's like doing the overnight shift. Orlando
greets him. They you know, they GiB a jab, but

(23:14):
do just the morning chit chat and then Rolando's like,
hey man, talks to the security manager, asked him to
go to the back room with him. I need to
like show you something like I don't know what.

Speaker 3 (23:23):
Do you got a second?

Speaker 2 (23:24):
So he's no, The manager like again, thinking nothing of it.
He goes right. The security manager follows his surveillance tech
and once they're in the back room, Orlando's like, hey man,
like look over there. Whatever. He pulls out his pepper
spray and he gives his boss a blast of pepper
stray straight to the doma, right to the face.

Speaker 4 (23:42):
The boss was like, I'm gonna I'll fine, I'll look
at your boil again and I'll tell you if it's bigger. Instead,
he gets a face full of peppers once again.

Speaker 2 (23:49):
The leaky body's going on. So now that his boss
is hacking and coughing and choking on pepper spray, Orlando
knocks him down and then he like whips out the
duct tape and he binds his security manager's hands and
feet and he leaves his boss there. Right, He's like
step one. Then he goes back to like the main
part of the security trailer where there's now two security
guards sitting there, and at this point. I think he
anticipated them, like it's like a time, like a shift change, right.

(24:12):
So this point, Orlando, he pulls out his handgun. He
shows it to the security guards, like what do you
guys think? And then he points at him. There's like,
no one sees this coming, right, He's got the drop
on them. So now they're facing a gun at four
in the morning. They're like, man, is this coming to work?
So they're all they do is ordered, right, So he
walks them into the back room with the security manager's
already bound. He's like, you see that, I want you
guys like that, So he duck takes them. Right now,

(24:35):
he's got the two security guards and his boss all
duct tape bound up in this little back room. So
then this is where the embarrassing part is. Elizabeth, the handgun.
It wasn't real. He pulls this all off with a
bb gun. Oh yeah, total BB.

Speaker 4 (24:48):
Gun paint over the orange tip.

Speaker 2 (24:50):
Well, they don't all have onge steps, but I think
that they just didn't like, you know, look, maybe the
end they thoughts with a twenty two he's using like a.

Speaker 4 (24:57):
Little squirrel hunting in the morning, That's.

Speaker 2 (24:59):
What I was saying. Yeah, you're like, oh, it looks
like a gun. Enough like a gun, I'm gonna act
like it's what I.

Speaker 4 (25:03):
Like is that he held one at baby gun point
and duct tape the other, and then one at Beaty
gun point. Didn't it like take a close look at
be like what in the world?

Speaker 2 (25:13):
Totally in house. I was wondering, how are they getting
all this tape down? Like you tape him and then
I'll tape you. So at this point we got the security.

Speaker 4 (25:21):
It's not worth the risk if you're you're like whatever.

Speaker 2 (25:26):
We all have a story from my wife when I
get home. So the security professionals right who I hoped
would know the difference between a real firearm and a
kid's BB gun, but whatever. Skipping past that, at this
point we got the security manager, two guards bound. So
Rambos moves on to step three. He attempts to destroy
some surveillance equipment. Okay, according to the police reports and
local news that I read, he did not destroy the

(25:48):
recording equipment. Yeah you think, like that's what he does.
He should be able to know, like I take the screwdriver,
I put it right through here.

Speaker 4 (25:55):
Usable you've been thinking about it at work all day
for weeks.

Speaker 2 (25:59):
He has to go to multiple rooms where there's surveillance
equipment like a recording part right, and apparently he doesn't
get it all anyway. After he partially destroys the surveillance equipment,
he moves on to step what four.

Speaker 4 (26:10):
Now, Well, although, I mean, I guess they've seen him,
so he has witnesses. I was gonna say, otherwise he
could make it look like it wasn't an inside job. Yeah,
that would be tied up his coworkers. So they're like.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
Showing up to work. Yeahah. So he contacts someone now
from the main casino security, like in the building. He
asked them to meet him at the vault. He's like, hey, man,
I gotta I need to repair some of the security
cameras in the vault. And they're like, okay, they're malfunctioning.
Like that's fine, man, I'll meet you over there. It's
not suspicious at all, because it's very normal. So they
make a plan to meet and did they do? They
meet Orlando at the vault two security guards. Elizabeth unarmed

(26:43):
both of them, so they opened the secure doors that
let him in. And once they step inside the vault,
they're not alone. There's five employees inside. Five This is
all of a sudden, like you know, Stanley Kubrick's the killing.
It's like, what do I do with these guys?

Speaker 4 (26:54):
What are they doing? Is just hanging out?

Speaker 2 (26:55):
They're busy counting money, the take from the day before.
So they got these five money counters in.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
There, right, God, think of that job. It's four in
the morning, You're in a closed vault counting.

Speaker 2 (27:06):
Had been for hours. Yeah, yeah, for hours.

Speaker 4 (27:10):
You haven't let you out weeks.

Speaker 2 (27:13):
Orlando doesn't waste any time. He's got like these seven
people now five in there and two he brought. So
he reaches into his toolbolt and he brandishes the firearm,
I mean his BB gun. Yeah, and again fools everyone, right,
two security guards who let him in there, the unarmed
guys as soon as they see this fire and they're like, okay,
let's do whatever. He says, I'll duct tape you, you
duct tate me.

Speaker 4 (27:32):
You know what if he spray painted it hot pink
and said it was one of those Susan g Coman
Brandon Breast answer his head and handguns, haven't you seen that?

Speaker 2 (27:42):
I'm sure they exist? But anybody think like this is
my wife's gun.

Speaker 4 (27:46):
But yeah, cover story. So it doesn't look like a
regular gun because it's a.

Speaker 2 (27:51):
Suit more like a toy. I don't think they.

Speaker 4 (27:53):
Mean this is October already, like it looks like a toy,
but it's not. It's Susan g Coman walk for the cure.
You guys, now sit down and tape each other.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
That's that's getty strong.

Speaker 4 (28:05):
This is how you think for This is why I
would be a really good groop sideways.

Speaker 2 (28:09):
And other people are thinking straight on.

Speaker 4 (28:10):
I like that human nature. I observe it.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Promos at this point has everyone lined up against the wall.
They comply with whatever he says. And his last parts
key because you know he doesn't want anyone to get
a good look at his non susan ja comen gun.
So because they if they realize they're not in danger.
There's seven of them, right, there's one of them in
a locked room. They can totally take it.

Speaker 4 (28:30):
They can all make eye contact and raise their let's roll.
That's good.

Speaker 2 (28:35):
They could be so easy to overpower them. Anyways, At
this point, Ramos like stand in the corner facing the wall,
and Susan j Comb is gonna get live. So if
they do it right, they duct tape each other or whatever.
I don't know how it works out. He's got all
seven people bound with duct tape, and now at this
point he gets to work on the heist part step five.

Speaker 4 (28:53):
But before they were all bound up, he made them
all do brest self exams. Probably meant too, because it happens, Darren.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Oh, yeah, if you've got breast and everybody, you know,
every and everyone else has the tissue.

Speaker 4 (29:04):
Of course, it's just you know, that's common sense.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
I like this. Well, waits, let's spread some more awareness exactly.
He drops a Duffle bag at this point on the floor,
starts to stuff it with cash from the casino's take
of the last day or whatever. He grabs about one
point five million in both loose bills and bound stacks
of cash.

Speaker 4 (29:22):
No, dang, one point five million, yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:24):
One point five million. Then he coolly has that stuff
duffle bag up on his shoulder and he now he
makes his escape step six. He walks out of the vault,
retraces his steps back to the security door that he'd
been let through. Then with that, now that puts him
back on the casino floor. So now he's got a
bag of one point five mili on his shoulder, and
he's wearing his normal outfit, no mask, right because remember

(29:44):
there's plenty of surveillance recordings, regardless of the cameras. His
duffel bag, you know, on his shoulder. He makes his
way through the casino. I think at this point it's
like maybe four forty five in the morning, okay, And
so there aren't a ton of gamblers on the floors'd right,
I mean there's there's gonna be some because there's always
some cameras on.

Speaker 4 (29:59):
The if it was a weekend or a weekday.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
I believe it was a Thursday Friday morning, Thursday night Friday.

Speaker 4 (30:06):
Yeah, that's not a h So no one will.

Speaker 2 (30:08):
Look twice at himough, because he's wearing his casino uniform,
even as the id bad. He's got a tool belt
with the baby gun in it, not pink stuff. No
one's looking twice. He looks like a workman. He blends
into the background, so it's safe, you know, it is
presumed anonymity. He walks through the casino and uses an
emergency door exits the building, one that won't set off
an alarm. Right, once he's outside, he's like, he texts

(30:29):
y Aguilera, who Now he's got the waiting go text right,
so he stops circling the neighborhood.

Speaker 4 (30:34):
I wonder if he had one of those Mustangs with
like the throaty engine. That's what I hi laying there
like someone is like it wakes him up, and they're
like trying to fall back asleep, and then exactly you.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
Can imagine also something like pain in the neck. Policeman
is up early and he sees the same Ford Mustang
come around a few times. It wouldn't be terrible if
their whole plan comes down to just the fact they
get pulled over by some suspicious cop.

Speaker 4 (30:56):
Like, yeah, he's doing the probable cause.

Speaker 2 (30:59):
Now I think it was probably one of those tiny
Ford Mustangs, and the cops the new ones, but they
don't have quite the same rumble. It just looks like
the modern fuel efficiency standards. Yeah, at this point, I'll
lar pulls up the casino. He meets Rolando, who's like

(31:19):
waiting outside the casino with the one point five mil,
just waiting like this has to be like the best
site for him. Right, he sees his own Ford Mustang
pull up behind the wheel. They've almost gotten away with it.
Now they just need to step seven, which is getting
the goddamn car. So he does that, steps inside the
car rumbles are tinely rumbles back to life, and they

(31:40):
pull away from the casino. Right at this point, Ford
Mustang disappears into like I don't know, the purple light
of the coming dawn, beautiful. Just like that, They've done it, Elizabeth.
They've robbed their workplace perfectly. There's one obviously, the one
huge glaring problem with their plan. And I use that
term loosely their plan, but you did already point this out.

(32:01):
They don't wear masks to their job and then they
rob everybody, right like they got like what like ten
witnesses at this point.

Speaker 4 (32:09):
Well like at one point they're in the vault tied
up and they look at they look at him, They
look at the employee of the Rolando man three months
ago sign on the wall, and then go back and forth.

Speaker 2 (32:21):
Of money that is him Rolando. So I mean they
might as well have left like a greeting card for
the police.

Speaker 4 (32:29):
Like you met their hands and they go to the
window and leave really perfect prints.

Speaker 2 (32:36):
So in the bank heist business, I think we call
this a huge blunder, Reno.

Speaker 4 (32:41):
That is the technical term. I mean zaren, don't use
shop talk, put it in plan.

Speaker 2 (32:46):
Sorry, sorry, old Mistako. So they're now former co workers,
free themselves from the duct tape, right, and once they
immediately phone the cops. The cops have nothing to do
out there and like outside of Santa Sinto and Hemmet,
So it takes some five minutes to respond to the call.
The Riverside Sheriff's deputies all arrive at like five point
fifteen in the morning, and by then, the pair of

(33:06):
the heisman they're long gone though, right. These two amateurs, though,
have left a trail thick and wide. It leads right
to them. So this point, the law enforcement folks, so
they don't know what's going on. It's so obvious, like wait,
you just showed you his face and are you was
anyone forcing him to do it? You know, like he couldn't.
Don't believe what they're dealing with. So what do they do?
They go and they question the money counters, like were

(33:27):
you in on this? They questioned, the security guards wide
you open the door, right? They all they get them
all separated, They ask what happened? They all pretty much
tell the same story. All the stories they collect they
all match, so now the truth gets shaken out, They're like,
it was Rolando, Okay, so the sheriff's deputy, so they
can't know if there must be some insider possibly, So
at this point they have to keep all of the
casino resort guests whoever's there, at like four in the morning,

(33:50):
which has got to be a lively crowd. O. What
a motley crew that lasts for several hours. They hold
them all on the property right the casino is on lockdown.
According to the local press coverage, I read quote, many
gesked went back to gambling while others stood around the
interest in trying to find out what had happened.

Speaker 4 (34:04):
Well, I could see the pit bosses being like, just
keep it going, car.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
You got a bunch of seventy year olds agoing what now,
tell me again it was Rolando. According to seventy one
year old Glenn Hoffman of Little Creek, he said, they
had guards at the front and back door, and we
were all told to stay put where we were. Where
we were in the buildings. No one knew what was
going on. So there was one elderly woman though she's
having heart trouble, so she they searched her. They patted

(34:29):
her town or whatever, and then she was allowed to leave.
She's the only one allowed to leave the property. She's
got her hobbing. So at this point though, everyone gets
held and said. They all get questioned by the cops
and then their co workers are like, no, it was Rolando.
Everyone's keep saying it was.

Speaker 4 (34:46):
I guarantee that lady didn't have heart trouble.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
She just wanted to leave.

Speaker 4 (34:50):
Yees, get to a certain age and you can, they'll
believe you.

Speaker 2 (34:53):
And I think I'm having a cardioctually.

Speaker 4 (34:57):
You don't want my death on your hands.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
Everybody, all the ten witnesses were like, it was Rolando.
The cops are like, okay, we're getting some definite patterns here,
but a couple of them alsogo if it was Rolando, man,
it was also, I'd be willing to bet you was
involved in this was his work, buddy, Eric Aguilera.

Speaker 4 (35:14):
So they were like hanging out and.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Everyone knew, like Orlando wouldn't do this by himself. There
he's easily kind of the smarter one, so I'm thinking
he was involved. So within less than an hour after
they get away with it, they've both been id'd cop.
The cops launched their man hunt. All right, So a
few hours after this, after the heist, the Ford Mustang
is found abandoned. I guess they're like, here's some more clues.

(35:38):
Here's my car to confirm it's Rolando.

Speaker 4 (35:40):
With the registration exactly.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
So it's parked a few blocks from the casino, not
hard to find.

Speaker 4 (35:46):
They didn't make it, ran out.

Speaker 2 (35:51):
Then they walked back to Eric's car, or maybe maybe
they thought to switch cars. I don't know. Presumably, though
I'd like to believe they disappeared in Aguilera's car. These
are not the best or brightest heisman. So now where
do these two go with their stolen one point five mil?

Speaker 4 (36:05):
Do these two go with they're stolen one point five minutes?

Speaker 2 (36:07):
Great question, Elizabeth. Did they make a run for the
Mexican border like old cowboys would. Did they head to
a small regional airport where there was a waiting private plane.
Did they climb into a U haul moving truck driven
by a third friend and disappear into the LA metropolitan
area like like they're part of heat? No, no, and no.
So where did they go? Well? If you guessed not far,

(36:27):
you would be one hundred percent correct. Then they this
two man highst crew. They hold up in a Motel
six in Palm Springs now by seven am. Rolando R
And Eric there in this Motel six room with the
stolen money dumped on like the double beds or whatever,
and they're like, you know, lying on it, throwing it
in the air. I don't know what they're doing. It's
just fun to picture and then to make things worse

(36:50):
better however you want to look at it. Eric Aguilera's
baby mama, his twenty three year old living girlfriend, Yea
Sonya Boyoquez. She shows up at the motel six oh
and when she sees all the money on the beds,
she's like, oh my goodness, and she's floored by it. Right,
She's like, let me get a roll, and then they
throw stacks and the rainbow down onto her. Stacks and
stacks of cash is how she described it. At this point,

(37:11):
the two amateur heightsmen and the baby mama, the living girlfriend,
they count out how much they've gotten away with, and
they don't divide it up evenly. It's not a fifty
to fifty split. Because Rolando went in the building, he
did most of the risk. Yeah, Eric Auguilera's just basically
the glorified getaway driver. So and after their profits from
the heisters split up, Aguilera and his living girlfriends Sonia,
they take off. They drive him down to San Bernardino

(37:34):
and she helps him check into a new hotel while
Ramos heads to La Now it's still early and the
robbery has yet to hit the news, so the cops
already know it was an inside job. More than that,
they know who did it. It's Eric and Rolando. So
now you know within hours of launching their man hunt,
they have search warrants, so they go to both men's
homes when the Riverside County Sheriff's departments, the detectives show

(37:56):
up at Eric Aguilera's house. Yeah, he isn't there, thankfully now,
but they have a search warrant, so they just enter
the premises. What do you think they find, don't bother guessing.
I'll tell you a duffel bag with five hundred and
fifty thousand dollars from the casino. He just took his
money to his house, left it and then went to
like the San Bernardino motel room to hide out. Like,
if I'm not with the money, then they can't prove

(38:16):
it was me man, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (38:18):
So.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
Now at this point, the cops widen their circle of investigation.
Using their search warrant, they start to surveyl Agibilera's phone.
That gives them a new lead. The very next day,
Riverside County detectives show up at one of his relatives
houses and that's where they find him. Right, hey, Eric, Hey,
you're gonna need to come with us and we are
going to have some answer some questions about Rolando. He's
there with Sonya, So she gets arrested too, as an

(38:40):
accessory to the house. Way to go, Sonya, you know,
she had to be pissed about that. They didn't even
get to spend a dollar of the stolen loot. It
wasn't even a full day that they got to be
successful heist. Roberts, No, No, it.

Speaker 4 (38:51):
Means from one Motel six to the next.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
Exactly. The mastermind, Orlando, He isn't so easy to find.
His red whereabouts remain unknown Riverside County Deputies the detective
as they tell the local press, they believe Ramos is
still in California. That might change soon, you know, he could.

Speaker 4 (39:05):
Bounce a lot, can happen?

Speaker 2 (39:06):
Assistant Sheriff Pat McManus tells the press he didn't run
for the border as soon as he left the casino.
I mean, he's got family members outside the country, but
we think he's still in the state. So like, I
don't know why he's telling everything, but you know, Nursey,
they won't answer questions, and no, we're gonna tell all.
At this point, the investigation becomes a federal affair. US
Aaron Marshalls. They joined the man hunt and so does

(39:27):
Border Patrol. They're all all alerted to be on the
lookout for Rolando Ramos. So, Elizabeth, do you like he
fled the country because he's got family in both Mexico
and the Philippines, and that's got the money to slip away.

Speaker 4 (39:41):
No, he didn't.

Speaker 2 (39:41):
But the casino heightsts he's an amateur, clearly saying that's
what's on the side of the law. So let's take
a break and after these messages, I will tell you
about the hunt to find Rolando. Yes, so at this point,

(40:13):
Rolando's on his own, Yes, but he knows Eric Aguilar
has been caught because he's in the news. The cops
have released it, right right, so he's like reading about it.
He's like, Okay, I'm gonna have to lay low. They
also at this point decide to put a little pressure
on this man on the run. They go old school.
They release a photo of Rolando to the news something
that his face is all over the TV news, He's
in the local paper, the La Times, the Orange County newspapers,

(40:36):
the San Diego Union Tribune. His face is all over
like local news websites. Right, this wanted man's face is everywhere,
like it's like a nineteen forties noir film.

Speaker 4 (40:44):
And they've speculated that he's left the country. And if
I'm him, I'm thinking of then I'm not leaving the country.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
Well yeah, and there's also lots of ways to leave
then to China shan him.

Speaker 3 (40:54):
Right.

Speaker 2 (40:55):
So the cops, though, they also say that he's armed dangerous,
and they tell the public keep your distance, he's armed,
in dangerous.

Speaker 4 (41:01):
And they tell me he's Susan.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
You see him called nine to one one, do not engage.

Speaker 4 (41:07):
I'll do that.

Speaker 2 (41:08):
And I don't know if they mentioned I don't know
if the cops know he had a BB gun or
they actually believed he was armed in dangerous. But that's
what they tell the public, and.

Speaker 4 (41:15):
It helps up a man on exactly, even if they
knew it was a BB gun, I would go, that
is a weapon.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
Yeah, right, So he is text, he is forearmed.

Speaker 4 (41:24):
And he's dangerous because he doesn't think things through.

Speaker 2 (41:29):
Meanwhile, Riverside County Detectives they use a search warrant to
go and search his place too. Maybe we'll find the
other one mill. You know, we got the five hundred
and fifty. So this is where they find a very
important clue. And when they go to his home and Hemmett,
he's not there, the money's not there. But what they
do find is theatrical makeup.

Speaker 4 (41:48):
You get out of here right now. I'm so excited.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Like I like to imagine it was like mine the makeup,
or like birthday clown makeup.

Speaker 4 (41:55):
It was like when you're a kid and you get
Halloween makeup and it's those oil sticks and it's like white.

Speaker 2 (41:59):
Yeah and black exactly his primaryers.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
Yeah, and you got to do something with it.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
I was really rooting when I read this. I was
rooting for him to like his plan was to pain
himself as like either like a street mind as part
of his getaway, or like a birthday clown and that's part.

Speaker 4 (42:13):
Of his estake beach.

Speaker 2 (42:15):
Yeah, you're like, nobody will see me. I'm late for
my birthday party or no.

Speaker 4 (42:19):
You know, you just like do really bad makeup, like
you know, oh, this person's not right. You get the
fistics all going off the side and get a fright
wig and they're like, oh honey.

Speaker 2 (42:30):
Did you did you miss the audition? Did you blow it?
So the Assistant Sheriff McManus, he tells the press, we
assume he's trying to disguise his appearance. You Assistant Sheriff.

Speaker 4 (42:40):
Mcmahonus, guy is the best, right, he's on.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
Top of it. I like these different groups that they're
fighting against. You know, they have to overcome the casino,
the security, They got to overcome the Riverside Assistant Sheriff
and his gang. Yeah, and all of them are just beaming,
you know, just bright lights. So at this point, does
the Riverside County Sheriff are they able to get their man? Well,
Orlando Ramos on the run. He's got a million dollars,
He's believed to be using theatrical makeup. He may be

(43:05):
armed with a BB gun.

Speaker 4 (43:06):
Where has he got like jackal level prosthetics?

Speaker 2 (43:10):
Oh, that would be dope. Yeah, like fake nose and eyebrow's.

Speaker 4 (43:13):
Just like just like, no one has a chance.

Speaker 2 (43:16):
He doesn't have enough gargo, so it's like flapping at
the sides. So also, he's got a half day head start.
You know, he's checking the news. He knows his partner's
been caught. So at this point, how does he play
it smart? Do you think he can do it? Elizabeth?

Speaker 4 (43:28):
No, No one involved in this on either side of
it is like demonstrating best practices.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
The Riverside County investigators, they seek more help. They get
six different search warrants and twelve secured court orders from
the State Attorney General's office to run cell phone monitoring
on Ramas' cell phone and the family the numbers of
his family known.

Speaker 4 (43:49):
Associates announce to the press that's the one.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
Thing they seem to hold them to themselves. They also
go and begin to interview his family, his friends, his associates,
like where's Orlando's he contacted you right, and they bring
it detectives from Ontario and the Fontana police departments. Apparently
they're effective. They're the only ones they see mentioned. Can
we get some of those Fontana boys? How about the
Artario girls, and they available because they kick ass. The
proverbial net is now closing in. It's only a matter

(44:13):
of time, they're convinced. But will Ramos be able to
flee the country? Is Orlando gonna run? At this point
we're on day two of the man hunt. Where in
the world is his car in San Diego? Great question, Elizabeth,
I'm really glad you asked, right. Is there a bit
make a birthday clown slinking around la?

Speaker 3 (44:30):
You know?

Speaker 2 (44:30):
Who knows?

Speaker 4 (44:31):
Was he?

Speaker 3 (44:31):
Like?

Speaker 2 (44:31):
Maybe he was like cross dressing and pretending to be
a woman with like a bad wig job. I don't know,
maybe you know, like I'm just in my minivan running.

Speaker 4 (44:38):
Errands, you know, like a Century City mime school.

Speaker 2 (44:41):
Turns out he was busy applying for an emergency passport
so he could flee the country. He did not have
his passport in order or like some like one I
bought at MacArthur Park.

Speaker 4 (44:50):
Also, it's like he's wanted his pictures everywhere. I'm gonna
go through the appropriate channels to get an actual passport.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Exactly, I'm gonna go deal with the feds. Tell about
you need an expedited and here's where to send it. No,
I'll come and pick it up. Either one's bad, like
here's where I will be or here's where I am,
like send it to me, or I'll come meet you,
you know. Either way. He also gets busy contacting his
family in the Philippines, but he's smart enough not to
use his own cell phones, so you got to give
him that. I forgot to mention. He's also high as

(45:19):
hell on cocaine because he's been living it up. So
before he flees the US, he got nothing to do. Elizabeth.
You know, he's got all this money just burning a
hole in his duffel bag. So he goes in. He
grabs some food, a couple of eight balls of cocaine,
He picks up a couple of sex workers. He has
himself a little going away party. In other words, he
gets sloppier, right, Oh no, yeah, that'll be his downfall. No,

(45:40):
but rather than me tell you about Elizabeth, I don't
you close your eyes like you picture is. It's early
in the morning on Saturday, August fourth, two thousand and seven.
And when I say early, I mean like three am.
At the moment, you are busy at work as the
overnight manager at the executive in motel on Elsagundo Boulevard

(46:01):
in Guardina, California. The rather sketchy motel is located just
a few blocks west of the one ten Freeway. It's
about eight miles away from Lax Airport, or in La Terms,
a fifteen minute drive by car. It's been an uneventful
night so far, which you're thankful about since this motel
is also a few blocks away from the Lucky Lady
Casino and Larry Flint's Hustler Casino. Neither one is a
real casino. They're both card rooms, but you know they

(46:23):
call themselves casinos because they've got notions. They're not known
to attract the best clientele. You're always happy when a
Saturday night does not include some boso who wants some
easy money at the Hustler Casino who shows up with
some scandily dressed women saying I need a room. So far,
so good. At the moment, though, you're busy using the
front desk computer to type up phony reviews of the
motel on YELP, your boss, the owner, demands that you

(46:45):
counteract the many, many bad reviews of this motel in
of some vain hope he can like improve the two
star average and bury some of these very ugly reviews.
In fact, you've just got done rereading the top review
which stated that quote warning, don't go here. I've came
here not too long and it's horrible, despicable, and grotesque.
My unit had rats, roaches, bedbugs, and I think fleas.

(47:05):
They invaded my privacy by going in my room and
moving my things from the first floor to the third
floor without notice. They lost my belongings. When I asked
about it, they kicked me out there with no toilet
seed in my toilet, no towels, soap or anything given out.
The owner or manager is a total rude, disrespectful ahole.
He kept threatening to kick me and my one year

(47:26):
old son out anytime I said something needs to be
shut down. It looks and smells like skid row. Not joking,
I am definitely suing. That other guy who gave it
a five is the owner's brother. I saw him before.
He works late nights, shaking my fin head. You can't
help but laugh as you read it. Of course, the
owner's brother got caught posting fake reviews, the same fake
reviews you're now posting. But he's a lazy dufist you,

(47:47):
you're smart him getting caught a spot on. Meanwhile, as
you type out your fake review and the worn out
keys go click click clack, you wonder why you're even
wasting your time. Who would read a review and also
stay at this motel. They're not checking Yelp reviews. However,
you really need the job, and you know the a
whole owner will definitely check if you've posted. The fake
reviews are not in the morning, so TYPEI type type

(48:09):
you do, And just as you get done with your
second fake five star review, you see it. A caravan
of police cars and SUVs come tearing into the lot,
racing up. But it's three am. Their sirens aren't on.
Thank god. The cops pour out of the vehicles. They're
all business. One officer looks to be in charge of
this tiny task force heads over to where you are
in the motel office. He pushes open the door. The

(48:31):
electronic bell chimes. You smile politely and say, do you
guys need rooms? The author s got the look on
his face, says he wouldn't want to be caught dead
in a place like this, literally caught dead. He strides
up to the front desk and asked if there's a
young man staying here alone, possibly checked in under the
name Rolando Ramos. You tell him you'll check the computer.

(48:52):
Click a clack, go the keys again, and sure enough,
there is a young man staying at the motel, checked
in just the night before, but he didn't use the
name of Rolando Ramos. The officer shows you a photo.
Does he look like this man? You give the picture
a quick glance and yes, you remember checking him a
night before. You not. You say room two fourteen, and
the officer says thank you. He spins on his heel
strides out. The electronic bell chimes again as the door

(49:14):
closes behind him. Meanwhile, you step away from the front
desk and walk out to the office to see what
you assume will be some sort of dramatic drug bust.
This guy is far from the first to be busted
at this motel. The electronic bell chimes as you step
out into the early morning air. You watch the tiny
task forse of cops at La County Sheriff's Deputies and
Riverside County sheriff Deputies and what looked to be maybe

(49:35):
US Marshals as they bound up the cement stairs and
rush to room two fourteen. One of the officers, a big,
burly cop, knocks his heavy fist against the door to
the motel room, and now just police open up. You wait, ever,
curious to see if the young man will open the door.
Is he will? He? And the cops will they have
to bash it in. After a moment or two, the
burly cop gives a signal. He waves the second officer
over with a handheld battering ram to knock the door in.

(49:58):
He marches over all official life. With one swift swing,
he bashes in. The motel door caves in like it
was made of cardboard. Cops all rush into the motel room.
Thankfully there's no gunfire, because you know, if there was
any bloodspill, who would have to clean that up? And
it wouldn't be the a hole owner and it wouldn't
be the cops. After a long moment, a few cops
emerged from the darkened motel room. They have the young

(50:18):
man in handcuffs, and he looks the same, except you
see that he must have been wearing a wig, because
now it's all half a skew on his head. And
he said makeup. His disguise is useless. Now. After another
moment passes another share step. He emerges from the motel room.
He's holding a dingy stained pillow case. It looks like
it's loaded with either money or drugs, perhaps both. A
little while later, you learn your suspicions were correct. You

(50:41):
overhear two share stepy to discuss the money in the pillowcase.
It was just over eight hundred thousand dollars. You laughed
yourself as you imagine telling the motel owner about this bust.
No amount of phony YELP reviews will cover this press.
It's a clear time you need to find a new job.
There you go, Eliza bit. That's how Rolando Ramos get
caught isazy motel by lax.

Speaker 4 (51:05):
I really like the reviews, says they're going to sue right.
My legal team is on this. There's no there's there's
no seat on the toilet, and I brought my one
year old child with me. But I'm calling my attorney.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
So hold up into this sleazy hotel down the street
from the hustler of casino. Yeah, hiding out his eight
hundred grand in a pillowcase.

Speaker 4 (51:28):
It's amazing, beautiful Waiting.

Speaker 2 (51:30):
He waits for his emergency passport to be ready so
he can.

Speaker 4 (51:34):
What you do this for?

Speaker 2 (51:36):
When the pillow case money was all counted, it was
eight hundred four thousan two hundred and thirty nine dollars.
Now you're keeping track of what was stolen and how
much is recovered. That leaves about a thirty grand of
missing casino money at the end of it all exactly.
I don't know how he blew thirty grand. Basically one
night on sex workers, blow and Carl a motel room

(51:56):
that couldn't cost more than eighty dollars. But according to
Assistant Sheriff McManus, he tells the presses he puts it
ramos was a spending on the on the run to drugs, women,
rooms and food. How many buffet lines? I mean, would
you have to go through it?

Speaker 4 (52:12):
We went through the drive through a bunch and then
he would forget it in the car and then like
go back in and go oh man.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
And then have to you have to be buying kilos
of cocaine and like a restaurant, like buy the restaurant,
like I'll take this the whole boys, because.

Speaker 4 (52:26):
You'd forget a lot of friends and they all just
went and got buckets chicken.

Speaker 3 (52:30):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (52:30):
Actually I could see that ringing up real quickly.

Speaker 4 (52:32):
He's at the Larry Flint Club and he's like, who
wants armies? And then like, don't worry, I'll go pick
it up.

Speaker 2 (52:39):
Like half the La Clippers are like I do.

Speaker 4 (52:42):
So he's like, okay, he goes in there. I want
like sixty beef sanguich.

Speaker 2 (52:48):
According to San Diego Union Tribune, once it was all
said and done, it was twenty nine and thirty dollars
of the one million, five hundred and eighty one thousand
and nine dollars that they've taken all together. So Assistant
Sheriff McManus from Riverside County he summed up the casino
heist in the subsequent bust with a rather pithy statement,
or rather, I think an understatement. He said, the robbery

(53:10):
was well planned, the getaway was lacking. Again, Assistant Sheriff McManus,
that's going in the paper. So these criminals, we see
it off and over and over again. Right, they're willing
to risk it all, and yet they haven't thought about
how they'll get away with it. Like over and over again,
we see this like, look, honestly, half of more than
half of the crime is the planning of the crime

(53:31):
should be going into getting away with it. Yeah, yeah, anyway,
Rowanda Ramos arrested booked at the Southwest Attention Center on
Saturday morning. He's charged with casino robbery, kidnapping, fallse imprisonment, battery.
Two days. That's how long it took the cops to
find him. Two days, Elizabeth, Well, like a day and
a half of freedom, because remember that first night he's
over there in the Hotel six in Palm Springs, hanging out,

(53:54):
counting the money, waiting for you know, so what do
we expect? You know when you your plan is to
rob a casine, know where you work, and you don't
even trouble yourself wearing a mask? Like how stupid can
one man be or two men in this case? Yeah,
well I was. On Monday, Ramos sits for a jailhouse
interview with the Riverside Press Enterprise.

Speaker 4 (54:12):
Oh there, that's a smart move.

Speaker 2 (54:14):
I asked about why he'd done it and why I
threw against like, you know, his lawyers and express intent.
Rowlando Ramos tells the reporter from the Press Enterprise. He
blames the cocaine has he put it. I was so
fried up I was acting on adrenaline. Now that I'm
completely sober, I'm like, I can't believe I did that.

Speaker 4 (54:31):
Oh, nor can we.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
Hey switches gears and he wants to know how he's done, Like,
what's the press like outside? Right? Am I causing a
stir in the media? And he loves he's getting a
lot of media attention, Like he's clearly that's like a
stoke frame, Like, well, if I'm going inside at least
outside of talking about Rolando, make sure.

Speaker 4 (54:49):
You get my good side. He's like, I didn't bring
a cameramon.

Speaker 2 (54:51):
He also asked the reporter, he wants to know if
imagine that, Elizabeth, there's like an Ocean's eleven scale of
casino heist. He's like, how did my robbery rate on
the Ocean's eleven scale?

Speaker 4 (55:00):
All right?

Speaker 2 (55:00):
He off handedly remarks to the reporter and his jailhouse interview, quote,
did I top oceans eleven or something? I mean, I
don't even know how much I got away with? Elizabeth.
He'd counted the money and split it, so he did
know how much he got away with. Anyway, he did
not top oceans eleven. In fact, far from it. He
stole one point five million. George Clooney and his boys,
the Chris Crowe and the Ocean's eleven first one. They

(55:21):
stole one hundred and sixty million from Terry Benneddict's casino
in Las Vegas exactly, which means he didn't even steal
one percent of what they walked away with. Not to
mention Danny Ocean's crew got away with it, another thing
he did not do because he was sitting at a
detention center near Temecula talk about Hubris thoughs like, how
did I do on the Oceans eleven scale? You still
have cocaine in your system?

Speaker 4 (55:41):
Sure?

Speaker 3 (55:43):
So?

Speaker 2 (55:43):
Now there are two interesting twists in this case. And
his jailhouse interview, Ramo says he wasn't actually the mastermind.
He just was the heistman willing to walk in the
casino and rob it. You know. He's like, I got
the Kahonas to do it. He claims. His accomplished Eric
Aguilera is a real brains behind their casino Joe, as
Ramos tells the Press Enterprise, he's the one who watches
the cameras. He's the one who knows where everything is.

(56:04):
I'm just a pawn.

Speaker 4 (56:05):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (56:06):
Later, when they go before a judge. This story does
not fly. Elizabeth Yeah. Ramos has tried, convicted, found guilty
on all the charges second degree robbery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, battery,
sentenced to sixteen years. His accomplished Eric Aguilera, though the
getaway driver and the alleged mastermind according to Ramos, He's tried, convicted,
also found guilty. He sentenced to twelve years in prison.

Speaker 4 (56:28):
Oh wow, more than I thought he could totally.

Speaker 2 (56:30):
And Aguilera's living girlfriend brother with two children, Sonya Boriacaus.
She's arrested with him Robby's so she goes to trial.
In court, she testifies that Ramos was the mastermind. I'm like,
I think maybe she's biased, right anyway, So she said,
you know, he came up with the idea, as all
his idea, but he did it. I didn't think he
was serious, And she states in court, I did not
take something like this serious. So she pleads guilty as

(56:53):
an accessory to the heightst which I assume probably changed
her opinion about whether or not it was serious. For
her punishment, she was given a light sentence of six
months of weekend jail time, so Saturday and Sunday yeah, exactly. Interestingly,
both men would appeal their convictions. Yes, Ramos had two
battery charges thrown out, but that was it. Eric Aguilera
was let off an appellate judge reversed the judgment against him.

(57:16):
So there you go, Elizabeth. He got less time than
his girlfriend, who had nothing to do with it. Yet
another way not to do a casino heights. So what's
a ridiculous takeaway?

Speaker 4 (57:29):
N you know, anytime you think like that you're competing
with George Clooney, think again.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
Yes, that's a good standard to you.

Speaker 4 (57:38):
I really I think so, Zaren, what's yours? What's your takeaway?

Speaker 2 (57:42):
I'm going with yours? I like that one. I really
don't have one. That's that's perfect. If you think you're
competing with George Clooney, you're not. You need to think again. Yes,
So there you go. You in the mood for a
talk back, just as a little, you know, treat at
the end of Dave, could we have a treat?

Speaker 3 (58:02):
Oh my god? Did I like ge.

Speaker 5 (58:12):
Hey all, it's Ario in Colorado. I was driving to
an interview this morning, listening to your podcast from earlier
this year on Wigsift.

Speaker 2 (58:19):
Right.

Speaker 5 (58:20):
As I got to the end, a big old jacked
up truck cut me off, which isn't funny. It happens
all the time though, unfortunately. But what's funny is that
their license plate was wig Wig five. Then I got thinking,
big old jacked up trucks are kind of like the
big old jacked up wigs from back in the day
to show status and wealth and all that ridiculousness.

Speaker 4 (58:38):
So just have to share.

Speaker 5 (58:39):
Keep up the good work by ye.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
I love that.

Speaker 4 (58:42):
That's amazing. That is so true.

Speaker 2 (58:45):
You've changed my view ublifted trucks. I'm going to see
them as big wigs.

Speaker 4 (58:49):
Wow, Wig five. Now we know dude Wig five is
out there cutting people off.

Speaker 2 (58:56):
Yeah, keeping yeah, fine, that's the pictures of Big five exactly.

Speaker 4 (59:01):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (59:01):
Yeah. Obviously we both love your talkback, So go to
the iHeart app download it, leave a talkback and maybe
you'll hear your voice here. That would be nice. Also,
you can find us if you're looking for us online
at Ridiculous Crime on Instagram, blue Sky. We have our
Ridiculous Crime pod on YouTube. Go check it out. It's
the episodes with some dope animation. And we have a
website Ridiculous Crime dot com. It was the winner of

(59:25):
the five time I Believe Best Hat of the Year
awards so for for non snapback hats, so that was good.
And we also have if you can, you can email
us you feel like a Ridiculous Crime at gmail dot com,
so there's that as well, and as always, thanks for
listening and we will catch you next crime Yay. Ridiculous

(59:50):
Crime is hosted by Elizabeth Dutton and Zaron Brenette, produced
and edited by Larry Flint, silent partner for The Hustler,
Casino Dave Cousti, and starring Analyses Rutger as Judith. Research
is by Casino Buffet robbers and reviewers Marissa Brown and
Jabbari Davis. Our theme song is by our house band,
Brad Pitt's Eating Club aka Thomas Lee and Travis Dutton.

(01:00:11):
The host wardrobe provided by Botany five hundred guest Haarn,
makeup by Sparkleshot and The Mister Andre. Executive producers are
Ben I Prefer, Frank Sinatras, Danny Ocean Bowlin and note Yeah,
the new ones don't have any Sammy Davis Junior musical numbers.

Speaker 4 (01:00:26):
Wow, geck, why say it one more time?

Speaker 1 (01:00:36):
Gek cry Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio. Four
more podcasts My heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.