Las Vegas Police Arrest Dirt Bike Rider Who Allegedly Drove Through Strip Casinos

Article ByDavid Weir

July 7, 2023

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Posted in: Nevada Gambling News, US Casino News, US Gambling Crime News

In a bizarre incident even for the sometimes rowdy Las Vegas Strip, a man was apprehended by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) for allegedly driving a dirt bike at high speed through several of the strip’s casino resorts.

That included up and down public escalators, through retail hallways, and across casino gaming floors.

The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was also seen performing wheelies on Las Vegas Boulevard before speeding away from police when challenged. The specific casinos targeted by the man have not been revealed by the police.

LVPMD specialists from the R.A.I.D (Racing Apprehension and Intervention Detail) team were involved in the case.

“The rider thought he would never get caught. #YouThought Our R.A.I.D. Team was able to conduct surveillance along with marked units, and the air unit was able to take this #RecklessRider into custody without incident,” the LVMPD Traffic Bureau said in a tweet.

The tweet also mentioned that the man’s truck and dirt bike were seized and towed away.

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A String of Charges

The man now faces a string of charges for his dirt bike escapades, including three counts of disobeying an officer, four counts of disregarding the safety of a person or property, and four counts of reckless driving.

He is also charged with assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse and neglect, and coercion with force or the threat of force. The charges reflect the serious nature of his actions and the potential harm he could have caused to others, as well as other aspects to the case that have not yet been released.

Police called the suspect a “known reckless rider,” and said that they conducted surveillance sessions on his activities before going in for the arrest.

R.A.I.D. Team and Street Takeovers

The arrest was made possible by the diligent efforts of the LVMPD’s Racing Apprehension and Intervention Detail (R.A.I.D.) team.

The team, which was established in March 2022, focuses on investigating cases of impaired driving, street racing, and so-called “street takeovers.”

Street takeovers are a relatively old phenomenon given new life by social media trends. They involve gangs of motorists, sometimes in cars but often bikes, blocking busy roads and performing impromptu stunts and races.

As well as disrupting traffic and causing delays, such events often cause crashes as drivers perform increasingly dangerous stunts for the cameras. Street takeovers have been a big problem for police in Los Angeles, California, for years. Since the pandemic, they have increased in frequency on the Las Vegas strip.

LVPMD was determined to crack down hard on the behavior and set up R.A.I.D as a response to the issue.

“Over and over and over again, we see them losing control, hitting people, going into the crowd, causing multiple injuries,” said the unit’s Lt. Daryl Rhoads, speaking earlier in 2023.

“We knew we couldn’t allow this activity to happen on our Strip when we have a million tourists that are in town. If this infected our Strip and our tourist corridor, it could really hurt Las Vegas.”

In just over a year since its inception, the R.A.I.D. team has made 185 arrests, issued 238 citations, and towed 215 vehicles, demonstrating the need for its services.