AUBURN, WA – A man charged with stabbing a fellow casino-goer to death will remain in police custody, a court has ruled. Ricky Fuentes is being held on a $5 million bond following the incident at the Muckleshoot Casino and Resort.
During Fuentes’ first court appearance on Monday, Judge Jill Klinge found probable cause to charge the 31-year-old with first-degree murder. Prosecutors contend that this was an unjustified attack on a random individual and describe Fuentes as a grave threat to public safety.
A 29-year-old man, identified as Brandon Larson by his girlfriend Liyah Miller-Espinoza, was fatally stabbed at the gambling venue on Sunday. Local police reported that the victim was playing at a game table around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday when he was unexpectedly attacked from behind and stabbed in the neck.
According to court documents, Fuentes supposedly told an officer that he had intended to kill an associate at the casino. However, as he couldn’t find the associate, he decided to kill someone else. Fuentes allegedly admitted to deciding on the victim, whom he perceived as a bully at the craps table, and stabbing him in the neck. A box cutter found at the scene was seized by police as evidence.
Miller-Espinoza believes the attack on her boyfriend was random. “There was nothing possible between the two of them. Brandon was not the type to start drama, he just loved me, he wanted to get home to me,” she stated.
Fuentes’ considerable criminal history was presented by prosecutors. It includes an outstanding assault warrant in Olympia, and pending cases for reckless driving and possession of dangerous weapons.
Regular visitors at the casino expressed concern and anger over the incident, questioning the security measures in place. As of Monday afternoon, the Muckleshoot Casino and Resort hadn’t responded to requests for comments on the incident, their security protocols, and possible changes in the wake of the stabbing.